It was one thing to think they you could go out there and beat mighty Valor Christian on the golf course. It was quite another to go out there and do it.
That’s what coach Mike Maydew’s Silver Creek Raptors did last season in the Class 4A state tournament at Pelican Lakes in Windsor, stunning and in stunning fashion over the heavily favored Eagles.
“Obviously, with , we needed to play that well,” said Maydew, whose young team fired a two-day team total of 12-under par. Clark won the medalist honors at 16-under.
“I knew they had it in them. It was just a matter of putting it all together when it actually counted.”
So the burning question entering the 2012 season, is what do the Raptors do for an encore?
Last year’s state runner-up, Jack Adolfson, and third-place finisher Dylan Wonnacott enter their senior seasons at the Longmont-based powerhouse and are joined by fellow senior Andrew Rademacher-Howe and junior Todd Millar, who qualified for state as a freshman. Silver Creek will be favored when the state tournament moves to Montrose’s Cobble Creek Golf Course on Oct. 1-2.
The Silver Creek foursome is a year wiser, experienced and smart enough to know that they, not Valor, have the targets on their back. Something they all are looking forward to. <cq>
“We are going to go and try and win our conference, and that’s really our No. 1 goal,” Adolfson said. “At regionals, we really want to have everyone qualify for state. At this point, nobody is thinking about a state title. Hopefully we all make it there and we can make another run.”
Said Wonnacott: “I am really focused on capitalizing on what we did last year. Not just playing the same, but playing better. I belive this team should be better than last year, and I hope it is.”
, along with Highlands Ranch and Cherry Creek, has a way of reloading year after year, and this go round should be no different. It will be settled at Golden’s Rolling Hills Country Club.
In Class 3A, Kent Denver and defending champion Ethan Freeman have owned the state’s smallest class since its formation and this year should be no different The Sun Devils will defend their title at Pinehurst Country Club against the likes of Eaton, Aspen, Trinidad and Alexander Dawson, which is very close to home this season at Pinehurst Country Club
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354, twitter.com/JonEYunt or jyunt@denverpost.com
High School Golf
Key Dates:
• Thursday: Regular season starts
• Sept. 17-21: Regional tournaments
• Oct. 1-2: State tournaments
CLASS 5A
Tournament site: Rolling Hills C.C. in Golden
Defending team champion: Regis Jesuit
2011 medalist: Gus Lundquist, Regis Jesuit (graduated)
CLASS 4A
Tournament site: Cobble Creek G.C. in Montrose
Defending team champion: Silver Creek
2011 medalist: Wyndham Clark, Valor Christian (graduated)
CLASS 3A
Tournament site: Pinehurst C.C. in Denver
Defending team champion: Kent Denver
2011 medalist: Ethan Freeman, Kent Denver, Sr.
