LODI FINDS SUCCESS ON THE LINKS
Justin Gums is playing and coaching the Lodi High boys golf team this season.
That’s how Lodi coach Jim Staal sees one of his top returning golfers is on the courses. Gums, now a junior who was a co-captain last spring, is not only playing his rounds but working with teammates in matches to improve their games.
“This year, he’s the lead captain,” said Staal of Gums. “He really takes it to heart, and that’s important to him. He talks to the kids, he works with them. He’s a phenomenal leader, and the kids respect him. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge of how to manage the team. Lodi golf means a lot to him.”
Opponents are respecting the Flames’ burning start this season. Lodi, which won the Tri-City Athletic League title last spring and had hgih finishes at the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Division I and Masters’ tournaments and advanced all the way to the NorCal Finals, is 6-0.
Earlier this week, the Flames took second place at the Cosumnes Oaks Tournament at the Castle Oaks Golf Club in Ione. Leading the way was captain Gums, who medaled with a 2-under 69.
Gums has set the tone for the Flames in their fiery start. That starts with the first tee in which he has hit the ball approximately 300 yards — the length of three football fields.
“He has dominated at a lot of the courses,” Staal said. “I think he has a tremendous chance to make it onto the PGA tour one day.”
Gums has also carded a 32, five under par-37 of a nine-hole non-league match earlier this month. His scores have been in the low- to mid-30s in matches this season.
In order to repeat as TCAL champs, Gums and company are looking to continue playing stronger. At the No. 2 spot for Lodi is Tyler Rowlands, another junior. Taking the No. 3 spot is sophomore Jack LeBaron, then Dean Ky and Evan Seibly, both juniors. Also looking to play at the No. 6 spot is Cooper Aedolahzadeh and Dawson Hayrd, both seniors, and junior Mick Isola. Most of the golfers have fired from the upper 30s to the mid 40s.
“I think everybody returning is picking up the slack,” Staal said. “Everyone is stepping and playing a little bit better than last year.”
Staal has freshmen power in the ranks as well. Those Flames are Galvin Shaster, Ryan Chraska, Trevor Topham and Christian Toy.
Lodi lost only two players to graduation last spring in Brad Reeves, who is now attending and golfing at the University of Arizona, and JR Kanemura, who is hitting his shots at Doane Uni-
the Board of Managers will meet, and will probably pass what the league realignment committee proposed. In all likelihood, MC is expected to have another say at that meeting. • Little too late. Galt Joint Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Kaufman submitted a letter to the league realignment committee about removing Galt from the Sierra Valley Conference, which is D-IV but will be D-V in the next cycle, and placed into a lower league at the final meeting.
That letter should’ve been submitted at the first meeting last December, if not in January or February. That’s when school districts that were going to be impacted by league realignment could speak in person or through a letter and/or an e-mail.
The Sierra Delta League, which is D-VI, approved to have Galt in its league in January. But the committee voted 5-4 against the move. If the superintendent had submitted her letter earlier, it may have helped Galt’s cause.
But now Galt will move forward, along with SVC and cross-town rival Liberty Ranch, plus Rosemont, El Dorado, Union Mine and new member Bradshaw Christian of Elk Grove into the next cycle.
• One of the five area high school football programs should grab Jordan McGowan.
After one year as the Brookside Christian football coach, McGowan was removed after guiding the Knights to a 9-5 record that included winning a share of the CCAA and the section’s D-VII crowns. Brookside also played a CIF NorCal play-in game and played in the NorCal 6-A bowl game. According to a story by Thomas Lawrence of The Record ran on Thursday, McGowan is also a teacher at the campus, and will finish out the school year.
• Yes, I did mention five Lodi-area high school football teams in the previous point.
According to Hitt, Elliot will be holding sign-ups next month for current freshmen, sophomores and juniors, plus incoming eighth graders who will be freshmen at the campus for the 2017-18 school year who want to play football this fall.
The players would be a part of a junior varsity team, or as Hitt is referring to as a developmental team. This is in hopes of fielding an Elliot varsity football team in the fall of 2018. • Let the smack talk begin. The San Francisco Giants will not only return to the Major League Baseball playoffs come October, but will win the 2017 World Series. But right now, let’s focus on spring training, with the regular season just days away.
I have many family, friends, those who work in media and current and former student-athletes who are Los Angeles Dodgers fans, that firmly believe this is their year. I believe they will be in the playoffs again. But — once again — the Dodgers will come up short.
Then Dodger fans can refer back to 1988 — Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, everyone listened and watched pop star Debbie Gibson on the radio and TV and everyone tuned into one of TV’s top shows in Cheers. That’s when the Dodgers won their last title. Ha!