By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
There are three seniors among a veteran cast of golfers at Joplin High School.
“We could be decent,” Joplin second-year coach Jack Pace said Saturday. “We have some good veterans. I really like the competitiveness of our lettermen. They’re scoring well at the present time.”
The seniors are Drew Johnson, Gordon Mitchell and Brad Thompson.
“Our No. 1 is up for grabs,” Pace said. “Johnson, right now, has a slight advantage over Thompson and will be No. 1 for our opener on Monday. Thompson was the leader last season.”
Joplin will entertain Carthage and Webb City at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club.
Juniors on the squad of 11 are Jeff Black and Stephen Matlock.
There are four sophomores in Matt Ditto (a letterman), Cooper Craig (a transfer from Monett), Austin Jones and Brendan Weeks.
Completing the roster are freshmen Chris Moss and Stewart Pence.
Pace said son-in-law Kris Garrett, who’s on Doug Buckmaster’s football staff, is volunteering as an assistant in golf.
“We’ve been fortunate in that we’ve missed just two practices because of the weather,” Pace said. “Hopefully, we put those to good use in the (golfing) classroom.”
Pace said Glendale is the team to beat in the Ozark Conference Tournament scheduled April 14 in Springfield at Rivercut Golf Course.
The Falcons also won the MSHSAA Class 4 team title at Fremont Hills by 11 strokes over Poplar Bluff. District competition is scheduled for Fremont Hills, Pace said.
“Goals naturally include qualifying some individuals for state if we can’t make it as a team (Joplin missed that accomplishment in 2007),” Pace said. “I don’t know how the team competition stacks up. But we should know after April 10.”
The Joplin Invitational will be held at Twin Hills on April 3, Pace said. The Eagles also compete in tourneys at Miami (March 31) and Ozark (April 10) before the conference.
The top five team scores in the Ozark Conference Tournament in 2007 at Rivercut were 307 for Glendale, 317 for Rolla, 319 for Kickapoo, 326 for West Plains and 343 for Joplin. Thompson shot 82 to pace the Eagles.
Thompson and Ryan Combs, the Eagles’ only senior, shot 83s in district competition last spring. Glendale beat Ozark 301-311 for team honors and Joplin was sixth with 344.
Sports
March 22, 2008
3 seniors return to lead golf team
-
-
Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
-
- Pittsburg State Sports
-
- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
-
-
Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
-
