BOYS’ TEAMS Arcola/Arthur-Lovington- Atwood-Hammond Purple Riders
Coach: Greg Gisinger (second season).
Fall 2021 finish: Team placed fifth in a Class 2A regional; Braden Kauffman and Aaron Seegmiller qualified for a 2A sectional individually.
What is your outlook for Purple Riders? Gisinger: “We feel like we have a chance to be a really good team this year on the boys’ side and will have a girls’ team for the first time, so they’ll be inexperienced. Our goals are to win the conference, make it to sectionals as a team and send some kids to state as well. We just hope to improve throughout the year and lower our team total as the season progresses.”
Who are some key athletes? The Purple Riders return three of their top five golfers from a year ago. One of the area’s more steady golf co-op programs, Arcola/ALAH will miss having Alex Kuhns and Kade Herschberger in the lineup, but Kauffman and Seegmiller will look to provide consistent scoring for the Purple Riders. Clay Seal is another returnee that will be expected to contribute, and freshman Canton Wesch is a promising newcomer.
Champaign Central MaroonsCoach: Mike Osterbur (sixth season).
Fall 2021 finish: Team placed eighth in a Class 2A sectional; Wade Schacht qualified for the 2A state tournament individually, tying for 13th place.
What is your outlook for the Maroons? Osterbur: “I look for a level of improvement for our overall team this season. How much of an improvement is still anyone’s guess. I see us gelling as a team this year. Last season, we had several varsity players experience playing in high school tournament golf for the first time after our 2020 season was torpedoed by COVID and basically canceled by the district. Now that they are tournament experienced, I see our individuals coming together as a team.
“One of our goals is to take home some team titles in tournaments. We competed in a few last season but were shut out in the win column. I think we can change that this season. Obviously, we want to be playing our best golf at the end of the season. We got out of the regional last season as a team. We have the potential to get out of the sectional and to the state finals, if all the stars align properly.
“We’re capable of consistently shooting in the 320 range, as a team, and getting that score down in the 310 range as the season progresses. If we shoot around 310 as a team, consistently, we’ll be in the chips. If we shoot in the 310 range in the postseason, we will contend for getting to the state finals. We have the potential to get to the state finals as a team.”
Who are some key athletes?
The Maroons’ high hopes start with Schacht. And rightfully so. The two-time News-Gazette All-Area boys’ Golfer of the Year is poised to continue his hold among the area’s best in his senior season. Schacht played in several tournaments this summer against better competition, which should only benefit him this fall. It’ll be a surprise when Schacht doesn’t earn medalist honors in dual matches or contend for first place in large tournaments. Two other seniors, Connor Clifton and Charlie Cekander, are also key cogs in the Maroons’ lineup. Both are capable of getting their scores under 80 for Central in 18-hole tournaments. Osterbur is also anticipating progress from juniors Chris Timmons and Ben Bandy to add some depth to the Maroons’ scores.
Mahomet-Seymour BulldogsCoach: Dave Sebestik (fifth season).
Fall 2021 finish: Team placed fourth in a Class 2A regional; Erik Christianson, Reis Claybrooke, Blake Harvey and John Schlenker qualified for a 2A sectional individually.
What is your outlook for the Bulldogs? Sebestik: “We continue to have a lot of interest, with over 20 kids coming out for the team this season. We lost several pieces from last year, but I am looking forward to seeing others step into new roles and continue to improve our program. Claybrooke and Harvey are our two returning varsity players from last year, and I expect big things from them as our team captains.
“Our main goals are to make it to sectionals as a team, defend the Champaign County championship and finish in the top two at the conference. In my opinion, we are capable of competing for an Apollo Conference championship and advancing past regionals, but this game is tough and anything can happen on any given day.”
Who are some key athletes? Claybrooke burst onto the scene as a freshman last fall, showing off some of his future potential. More will likely be expected out of him now as a sophomore. Harvey is a senior who should continue his steady contributions, and they’ll be needed. MS has to replace key scorers like Christianson, Schlenker, Brian Coyne and Zach Courson from last season. Christianson, Coyne and Courson all graduated, while Schlenker moved away after a solid sophomore season. Newcomers who could step in and replace some of that scoring include juniors Leif Olson, Parker Clements, Brogan Hennesy and Riley Dowers, sophomores Jacob Schoudel and Carter Henrikson, and freshmen Kelton Hennesy and Colton McClure.
Monticello SagesCoach: Andrew Turner (fifth season).
Fall 2021 finish: Team placed eighth in the Class 1A state tournament.
What is your outlook for the Sages? Turner: “We are excited to get the season started. Several of our boys have taken advantage of some great opportunities to play in competitive tournaments this summer. We have added some tournaments to our schedule that will give our boys the opportunity to play against some strong programs.
“We will talk about our goals during the first couple of weeks of the season. We have a strong core of returning players and also potentially good depth to our team.
“This year’s team has some potential to be competitive in some of the tougher tournaments we have entered this year. We still will be relying on some youth in our lineup, so it will depend a lot on how we can mature throughout the season.”
Who are some key athletes? With the graduation of Tanner Buehnerkemper, senior Will Ross is expected to carry the mantle of top player for the Sages. It’s a role Ross, a News-Gazette First Team All-Area pick last fall, has held at times in his high school career, but more will be expected out of him this season. Sam Davison is the other senior the Sages will have this season. A trio of sophomores in Maddux Quick, Andrew Neef and Kross Reynolds could also factor in significantly for Monticello.
GIRLS’ TEAMTuscola WarriorsCoach: Nolan Woller (second season).
Fall 2021 finish: No team score in a Class 1A regional; Makenna Fiscus and Marley Good qualified for a 1A sectional individually.
What is your outlook for the Warriors? Woller: “We should have a good team put together this year, so I expect us to score low and be in some good positions to win matches. We want to win regionals as a team and send players to sectionals. Conference is also something we want to score really well as a team. I think this team is more than capable of winning the Central Illinois Conference title and a Class 1A regional title. We have the ability to score low if we can stay consistent.”
Who are some key athletes? Having four seniors who know the ins and outs of the local golf scene — and the courses — is a big reason why the Warriors are optimistic about a successful season. Leading the charge is Fiscus, Tuscola’s top scorer in the past. She’s a prime candidate to win medalist honors in dual matches and contend near the top of any tournament. Good, Molly Macaulay and Isabelle Wilcox are the other seniors Woller will rely on to produce this fall, with junior Addyson Ring in the mix as well.
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