By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

Welcome to the high school golf season.

It was an early start for high-school golfers as OHSAA set the first date of practice and the first date of competition on July 28, the earliest of any of the fall sports on the OHSAA calendar.

Local teams have been busy both practicing and competing in tournaments and matches as they also look forward to the OHSAA postseason tournaments in October.

It will be interesting to see the boys and the girls that rise to the top this season, as well as the teams that make an impact on their conference

Portage County golfers are competing in five different conferences: Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (Garfield, Waterloo, Southeast), Metro Athletic Conference (Field, Ravenna, Streetsboro), Suburban League (Kent Roosevelt, Aurora), Chagrin Valley Conference (Rootstown), Northeastern Athletic Conference (Windham) and Mogadore is competing independently.

EARLY IN THE SEASON…

ROOTSTOWN ROVERS

The Rootstown Rovers’ girls team has already broken their team record in a nine-hole match.

In their victory over Lake Center Christian at Sable Creek Golf Course in Hartville, the Rovers fired a 176 in only their third match of the season. Scores included: Morgan Giebel 42, Ella Derr 46, Camryn Lappe 46 (all setting individual nine-hole records), and Ava Miller 42 joined Giebel for medalist honors.

The Rovers have become a team to watch with their sound, consistent play in tournaments and matches early in the season.

SOUTHEAST PIRATES (GIRLS)

The Southeast girls return their entire team from their fifth-place finish at the state tournament in 2024 except for Taylor Blazek, who graduated and is now playing at Gannon University.

The Pirates were the MVAC champions in their first year in the league and look to make that a tradition this season, with golfers Sammy Morgan, Jenni Mix, Jessi Mix, Aubrey Varga, Emily Morrison leading the way.

KENT ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDERS

The Kent Roosevelt girls are always one to watch as the team seems to just rebuild every season. The team already finished second in their own tournament at The Fairways at Twin Lakes and earned an additional runner-up in the first of four Suburban League tournaments at J.E. Goodpark Golf Course.

Roosevelt has been consistent with several individuals handling the challenge of the new season well, including Adrianna Mineo, Brooke Beatty, Kate Ennemoser, Coco Golden and Makenna Ward.

SOUTHEAST PIRATES (BOYS)

The Pirates — led by James Morgan and Cole Bruno, both district qualifiers in 2024 — have been doing well in early tournament action. Morgan continued to qualify for the state tournament last season and with several wins over the summer, including the Portage County Junior Amateur, is looking for another solid performance for himself and the team this year. Southeast returns their entire team from their runner-up place their first year in the MVAC.

MOGADORE WILDCATS

The Wildcats are in the unusual position of playing independently this season since they are not a part of any conference. Chris Mossa, coach of the Wildcats, said goals throughout the season are important since the team isn’t competing for a conference championship.

He can checkmark a few early goals performing at tournaments off his list.

The Wildcats finished sixth in Ravenna’s Yank Heisler Memorial at Windmill Lakes and fourth at the Joe Eaton Invitational at Tannenhauf Golf Club behind the solid scoring of Tyler Pendergast, Jude Thiry, Brock Thiry, Max Shannon and Max Simone.

THIS WEEK

(Note, please call ahead if you are attending a match or tournament to make sure a schedule hasn’t changed.)

• MONDAY: Rootstown, Southeast and Kent at the Lady Explorer Invitational, Lake Forest Country Club, Hudson; Southeast boys at Crestview, Beaver Creek Meadows, Lisbon.
• TUESDAY: Field, Rootstown, Mogadore, Field at Northeast Ohio Boys Invitational hosted by Springfield Spartans at J.E. Good Park Golf Course, Akron; Southeast girls at McDonald, Mahoning Country Club, Youngstown.
• WEDNESDAY: Southeast girls vs. Champion, Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course, Lake Milton; Waterloo boys at Mogadore, Paradise Lake Golf Club, Suffield.
• THURSDAY: Field boys at Streetsboro, Fairways at Twin Lakes, Kent; Mogadore boys at Lake Center Christian, Sable Creek Golf Course, Hartville; Southeast boys at Garfield Sugarbush Golf Course, Garrettsville.
• FRIDAY: Mogadore boys at Southeast, Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course, Lake Milton.

DEAR, COACHES

Please do not forget to send your match and tournament results either text or email to 330-206-9083/golffam2@gmail.com. Also, please send updated schedules or changes. Thank you.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

I love high school golf season.

There are very few sports that you are as close to the action as high-school golf.

Families who consider golf their family sport (including ours) can take a walk for four hours and watch their daughter or son play the entire time.

Golfers wave, hold their shots so I can take a picture and often frown or smile depending on how they think they are doing.

“Don’t use that pic,” a golfer often laughs if I snapped a shot that ended not up to their expectations.

Golfers that once played against our own kids when they were in high school and college are now adults (like our kids) and coaching or are parents/grandparents watching.

Parents/grandparents attempting to watch siblings on a team still have quite a hike before them.

The golf courses that welcome junior golfers are not only promoting the future of the sport, but encouraging a great family sport that juniors, parents and grandparents can all play together across the generations.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the links again this season.