The Aledo boys golf program overall has a lot of tradition at state. However, this particular group of Bearcats are headed there for the first time and are anxious to carve out their own place in that history by doing something they’ve been doing all season - play great golf.
“It’s my first time, their first time, we’re all newbies, but it’s still golf,” said Bearcats head coach Joe Roquemore.
That attitude of just playing and letting your talent speak for itself has served Roquemore’s team well this season, leading to their first state tournament berth as a team since 2017. They will be among the teams competing at Georgetown’s White Wing Golf Club Monday and Tuesday, May 9-10.
The Bearcats also qualified as a team in 2011 (finishing fourth), 2015 (12th) and 2019 (12th). They also sent individuals in 2012 (Logan Lambert), 2014 (Lambert) and 2018 (Evan Pennington).
“The job’s not done,” said sophomore Jake Phillips, in his second varsity season. “We’ve made it to state, but we’ve still got work to do.”
Fellow sophomore Jett Moore, also in his second year on the varsity, said the competition they faced in the Region I Tournament at Rawls Golf Course in Lubbock - including one of the state’s toughest courses and weather conditions - has the Bearcats ready for whatever comes their way at state.
“We were so tested in Lubbock. Any course now is easier than that,” he said.
Not only is Rawls a challenging course, it is compounded by the notorious West Texas winds that can send a perfect shot 15 yards off the fairway or green in an instant.
“We expect this course to be easier than Rawls, about 500 yards shorter,” Roquemore said. “I looked at the 10-day forecast before we played Rawls and it called for 75 degree temperatures with 10 mile an hour wind. When we got there it was 65 with 30 mile per hour winds.”
Moore said playing well on Rawls, finishing third in a tough regional field, has the Bearcats entering state with a boost of confidence.
“We’re playing good as a team. A lot of players are finding their form,” Moore said. “I feel really good. A lot of things are going my way.”
Roquemore said the aforementioned tradition is an inspiration for all Aledo athletes.
“No matter the sport, you see that big A and you want to beat Aledo. I like that everybody wants to beat us, you’ve gotta go prove you deserve to have that reputation,” he said.
And his team has done just that, following up the usual tough schedule by reaching state.
“We’ve seen the Texas Highs, Highland Parks, Southlake Carrolls, we’ve faced teams like that all season. Playing against the best makes you want to be the best,” he said.
The Bearcats have no seniors on their varsity roster, prompting most to already be optimistic about next year. But junior Braylon Mahaney said that before they can think about back-to-back state experiences, they have to play this year’s tournament first.
Also, he said if they hadn’t fallen short of expectations in 2021, this would be a back-to-back experience, something that has driven them all season, he noted.
“Last year we were actually favorites going into regionals. I’m just so proud of this team for coming back and getting to state this year,” he said. “We worked our butts off all year.
“Now we just go down there and play some golf like we know how to play.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here