STATE GOLF PREVIEW — ON COURSE: Top-ranked Lancers eyeing state supremacy
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Nick Hocker and Oxford has qualified for the state finals for the first time since 1998 and now hope to have a better final standing than the Wilcats' No. 12 ranking entering the Division 1 state finals. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
Oakland Christian, Troy, Oxford, Avondale all seeking grand success
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Over the years, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian has had its fair of many near misses.
The Lancers have fielded multiple state ranked teams in boys golf without a state title. In fact, this has been commonplace in a lot of sports.
Yet, Oakland Christian has won only two state championship s in school history — the girls basketball squad captured the Class D state title in the fall of 1992 and the boys soccer team won the Division 4 crown in 2008.
There have been several final four or state quarterfinals appearances, or teams that reached the regional finals or even finished in the top 10 in team scoring.
As for the boys golf program, the Lancers have never finished better than fourth with several top-12 state-finals finishes.
Oakland Christian took over the top-spot in the Division 4 state rankings and enters the finals at The Meadows Golf Course at Grand Valley State.
“We’ve had a great season thus far, now we have to go out and perform at the state finals,” said veteran Oakland Christian coach Randy Johnson, who is in his 13th season as the Lancers’ head coach.”We have high expectations, but I know coaching sports for around 20 years that being No. 1 doesn’t automatically mean you finish No.1. We have to go out and prove it.
SWINGING FOR GLORY: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian senior Nick VanBiesbrouck and the top-ranked Lancers are aiming for the school's first boys golf state championship this weekend at Grand Valley State. File Photo | Dan Stickradt
“When I used to coach soccer at the school, we had some very good teams ranked No. 1 in the state or at least in the top five and never got out of districts,” recalled Johnson. “With this team, I know we have the talent. We have five guys that can play and we even have two other guys that haven’t been in our top five that are capable of posting good scores. We have depth. But we have to have everyone post good scores for two days.”
The Lancers have three all-state caliber players, including junior transfer Zach Preuss, who is the defending D-4 state champion.
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic, Kalamazoo Christian, Ann Arbor Greenhills and Manistee Catholic Central are the teams expected to give the Lancers a challenge.
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest will also be making the trip to the D-4 finals, although the Crusaders are not expected to be in the hunt for a top-five berth
In Division 1, Oxford and Troy are the only www.northoaklandsports.com teams that reached the state finals. It will be the Wildcats’ first appearance at the state finals in 13 years, as they last competed in the fall of 1998 in Class B, while it’s the Colts first trip since 2006.
“Their goal from the beginning of the state meet was to make it to the state finals,” said Oxford coach Terry Kelley, whose team was unbeaten in dual meets and won the OAA White Division title this season. “We’ve had a really good season. Now, we get to keep it going. I know our guys are excited. It’s been a while (since we’ve made it).”
Thanks to its success in the past month, Oxford has cracked the D-1 rankings in the 12th position.
Troy, ranked 11th, won a regional title last week and is peaking at the right time. The Colts, who were only fourth in the final OAA Red Division standings, were runner-up at the second league tournament and a district champion in the past three weeks.
“We are peaking at the right time. We seem to be on the same page,” offered Troy coach John Getzan. “That’s why it’s so hard to predict what this team is capable of doing. Now that we’ve had some good weather the past few weeks, we are starting to see what (our team) is capable of shooting. We had a 306 at the regional. We had a hard time breaking 330 the first month of the season.”
Defending champion Novi Detroit Catholic Central will be challenged by top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, Birmingham Brother Rice, Davison, Muskegon Mona Shores, Battle Creek Lakeview and Pinckney, among others.
Individually, Lake Orion’s Alex Waelchli will also compete in Division 1.
Over in Division 2, which will be held at Forest Akers East at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Auburn Hills Avondale is also having perhaps its best-ever season and hopes for a grand finish.
The Yellowjackets, who are ranked ninth, are coming off not only their first-ever regional championship, but their first-ever state qualifying berth.
“We’ve had a lot of teams that just missed (qualifying),” said veteran Avondale coach Jim Maley. “This year we just have a great group of kids. We’re excited to be going. We’re going to go up there and have fun and see what happens.”
DeWitt, ranked No. 1 in D-2, along with Richland-Gull Lake, East Grand Rapids, Dexter and Spring Lake are the teams expected to contend for top honors.
There are no area teams that reached the Division 3 state finals. Top-ranked Jackson Lumen Christi and Grosse Ile are among the favorites at the finals, slated for MSU’s Forest Akers West.
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Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, Auburn Hills Christian Acadamy, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, High School, Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Troy
