With four returning varsity players, the men’s golf team looks to win a state championship this year, according to Andrew Havill, varsity golfer and senior.

The men’s golf team is ranked sixth in the state this year as compared to being ranked lower than the top twenty in the state last year.

According to Chad Carr, head coach of the men’s golf team, the team’s goals for the season are to win one match at a time and for players to improve individually throughout the season.

In order to prepare for this year’s season, both Havill and Jacob “Jake” Brown, varsity golfer and junior, have practiced during the off-season.

“I’ve prepared all winter. I’ve worked out after school and a lot of days I went and hit balls too,” Havill said.

Brown said he has prepared similarly.

“I’ve played a lot during the winter and the fall and just as much as I can indoors,” Brown said.

According to Carr, Havill is a great player and having someone like him always helps one’s odds of having success.

Brown said he agrees with Carr, adding that Havill is a consistent scorer every tournament and every match.

Brown said, “He’s dependable because he’s never going to shoot a high number. We always know we’re going to have one good scorer and some other guys can step up as well.”

With tryouts postponed due to bad weather and two matches already cancelled due to rain, weather will have an effect on the team this year according to Havill.

Havill said, “We dont have time to practice or do anything (when it is raining). We have to spend a lot of time practicing the day after it rains because we have to make up for the practice that we missed.”

This is not the first time that weather has affected the men’s golf season and cancelled games.

Havill said, “Always at the start of the season some games get rained out or snowed out in this case. As the season goes on, it gets better.”

Many sophomores and juniors on the team will be assets this eyar as they will keep improving, according to Havill.

Havill said, “I think we’re just going to keep moving up from our ranking (sixth in the state), because we have a lot of guys that have gotten better that have come back this year.”

According to Brown, since the men’s golf team only lost one player out of the top five last year, he believes the team will have a good year.

“We got eighth (in the state tournament) last year and I think we have a good chance of playing at a high level this year,” Brown said.

Havill said the men’s golf team definitely has a chance of winning State this year.

Carr said via email, “I think we have a good chance of winning it. We’ve been close in years past and I think our team is better than we ever have been.”

According to Brown, if the team plays to its potential it can beat any team in the state.

“We have to play well two days because it’s a two day tournament,” Brown said. “We have to get past Sectionals and Regionals which will be tough too, so it depends on how we play at State and if we all come together.”