|
This Monday at Longleaf Country Club in Pinehurst, the Panthers will attempt to solidify an already budding dynasty by winning their fourth straight 2-A golf state championship. Ledford advanced to the state finals by routing the field at Chase Golf Club in Marshville last Monday, winning by a ridiculous 18 strokes over runner-up Newton-Conover. The Panthers enter next week as prohibitive favorites, but don’t tell that to coach John Ralls, who feels there are several teams that can knock off the three-time champs.
“We are going to have to play well,” Ralls said. “A couple of other teams are capable of posting pretty good scores so everyone is going to have to play well. Cardinal Gibbons and West Henderson have been in the top three or four the last couple of years and they both have four or five players back from last year. We’ll have to be ready.”
Experience will be key as the Panthers return three solid contributors from the team that held off Cardinal Gibbons by five strokes a year ago. Jeff Boyan, Steve Pietsch and Curtis Brotherton rode this ride last year and should be well-equipped to handle the daunting challenge of conquering Longleaf’s 6,600-yard, par 72 course. Boyan more than held his own in 2007 as the then-junior shot a 1-under-par round and was just one stroke off medalist honors.
“They [opponents] were there last year too,” said Ralls. “It’s going to be tough. We’re ready to go and are looking forward to it.”
Despite the return of its talented trio, Ledford will be without Nick Goins, Logan Peck and Jake Dykhoff, who all graduated. That puts the encumbrance on new-comers Jordan Stiles, Chad Miller and Matt Lawson to help fill the void by posting solid scores.
“We have three back but other teams have four to five back,” Ralls said. “We have some experience and if we play well we’ll have a chance. We need four of our top six to put up a good score.”
So far this season, the Panthers have felt little pressure from the competition. LHS steam-rolled through the Central Carolina Conference undefeated and didn’t let up at all once the regular-season ended. Weather conditions for Monday and Tuesday forecast well with no rain expected, but it may be windy which will only make the course play tougher.
“Everybody will be playing the same course around the same time,” said Ralls. “You just have to go do it.”
Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 233, or at eliotduke@hotmail.com.