St. Mary's 17 Boys' Latin 4

Although the score might not reflect it, the Lakers had a relatively impressive showing yesterday.

Recognizing that four of the Lakers' starting six had a combined 1 competitive match under their belt going into yesterday, the boys' ability to perform under pressure was admirable and encouraging.

Patrick Hohman, competiting with an injured shoulder, had never played higher than #5 last season, and now found himself in the #2 slot. Though he dropped the front 6 to his opponent, Patrick battled back to win the back 6 and the over-all match. Patrick's 2 points lead the team in scoring for the day.

Stuart Naeny in his first match as team captain, succumed to heavy pressure on the second-to-last hole when, following a 310 yard drive, he mis-hit a wedge into a greenside bunker and took four shots to escape it, enroute to scoring a triple bogey seven. It was understandable that Stuart might struggle with the weight of this particular situation, as it was his first such instance in such a position. The coaches believe that it will serve him well and thicken his competitive skin for the matches ahead.

Props go out to Stuart Mitchell, competiting in the #3 slot, for his showing against the opposition. St. Mary's moved their #1 player two slots down to face Stuart - and he, more than any other Laker, had his work cut out for him. Stuart persevered, however; and took his match to the final hole before losing one-down. Stuart's competive fire was evident throughout the match, and the coaches regonized him for his never-say-die attitude.

Notable achievement of the night went to Gates Blair. Gates, playing in the #5 slot, was the only Laker to secure a win on the front 6. This was Gates' first ever competitive match - and he deserves credit for playing tough and grinding down the opposition when he was, no doubt, very nervous and tense.

The boys made a number of relatively mindless errors during the match. Failing to line-up putts, mis-calculations in course management, scoring errors, rules infractions, and a few other items cost the team an estimated five points. With that said, one thing certainly did not occur - they didn't give up. This is the difference between the 2006 Laker Golf Squad and teams past. The individuals in this line-up have fires in their bellies that dwarf that of their competitors. This dogged-mentality and gravel-in-the-gut determination will serve the boys well throughout the season.

With the St. Mary's match behind them and the lessons of a tough loss learned, the Laker Golf Team seems poised to take on Sts. Peter and Paul this Thursday at Hunter's Oak.