The Lynchburg boys golf team will be bringing loads of experience into the 2015 season with five of the eight players on the roster being seniors with four year of Varsity experience. The Mustangs also bring back experience on the coaching side as Shawn McLaughlin enters his 15th year as the head coach of the team.
The Mustangs had a stellar year in 2014 with an overall record of 53-8 and qualified as a team out of sectionals. They also finished second in the league to only West Union who has had a track record of winning league titles.
“Evert year in the Southern Hills Conference you are competing against the squad from West Union,” said Coach McLaughlin of the 2014 League Champs. “In my previous 14 years of coaching, West Union has won the league every year with one exception; when we took the title two years ago. The Lynchburg-Clay golf team finished second in the conference last year and our goal is to at least hold onto that spot and then give West Union a run at the title.”
As mentioned before, the Mustangs have seniors leadership in droves this season, and one of those seniors will lead the team this year and that is Zach Blankenship. He is a four year starter and has had two trips out of sectionals. He has a goal of making it to the State Finals as an individual which McLaughlin thinks could be in the realm of possibilities.
“Zach has aspirations of making it to the State Finals as an individual,” McLaughlin said. “He has put up solid numbers in our last two matches shooting 38 and 37 which could put him in the running to reach his goal.
[Zach] has also competed in many Jr. Golf tournaments throughout the Central and Eastern United States. The Mustangs also have Caleb Wardlow who was an All Conference golfer from last year.
“This team should have another shot at advancing out of sectionals again this year,” Coach McLaughlin said of the upcoming season and how he thinks they will do. “We dropped from Division II back to Division III this year and will be playing a different golf course than these Sr’s are used to.
Reach Robert Stegbauer at 937-393-3456 ext. 1679 or on Twitter @RStegbauer.
