By Billy Braunig
Photo by Al Merkley
After an amazing finish in their district tournament, the Willow School golf team made its first run at a regional tournament in school history. The Willow School golf team had its first tournament of the season, playing at the Division II district IV golf tournament at the Bayou Oaks north course.
The tournament was set to be played shotgun style, where each pairing started on a different hole. The Willow School had five players this year, including returning players George Koppel and Nicholas Smith. The Lions played exceptionally well, securing a fourth place spot and a trip to the Regional tournament. The tournament MVP, Junior, George Koppel shot a 71 (+3), while Junior, Nicholas Smith, shot an 83 and sophomore, Billy Braunig, shot an 87.
“I knew that if I came in with a level head, we would be fine because I know that others will follow and help calm everyone’s nerves,” said Koppel. Koppel had a 7-hole stretch where he was two under par, but he said that “during that stretch, that thought only came into my head once or twice.”
Nick Smith, a junior, said, “I was nervous. I knew my team could play well enough, but I knew that I needed to play well to help our team score.” Smith really turned it around after not qualifying the year prior. “I think the team had great confidence going into the tournament because of our practice sessions and the team meeting beforehand. Both of those, I felt, allowed the team to feel loose and play their best.”
After everyone finished their round, they all had to wait around for the scores to be posted. The golfers could finally exhale when they found out for the first time, The Willow School golf team had qualified for the regional tournament in its first year of establishment. They punched their ticket to play in the regional tournament the following weekend at Grand Ridge Country Club.
The next weekend, the Lions played in their first ever regional tournament, ultimately placing seventh and, unfortunately, not qualifying for the State tournament. Although the Lions did not qualify as a team, Junior George Koppel qualified for the tournament as an individual. At the state tournament, George Koppel finished in fourth place. Although the Lions didn’t make it to the state tournament, they were proud to have made history for their program.
