The Woodlands clicks at right time
After slow start to season, Highlanders surge to another state berth
The Woodlands boys golf team entered this season with their typically high expectations under new head coach Eric Noski, who replaced retired coach Steve Cribari after 12 years as his assistant.
But for most of the season, they weren’t playing like one of Cribari’s teams.
The Highlanders won a few events, but they didn’t really click as a fivesome until right before the district tournament.
“As we got up right to the district tournament, the kids seemed to show a little something extra, finally, the last tournament of the season, and started to peak a little bit, and that rolled into district,” Noski said.
With a little momentum, the Highlanders rolled right through District 166A.
They won with their best two rounds of the year, firing a 300-297—597 to secure their fifth consecutive boys district team title.
“The kids stayed focused on every shot,” Noski said.
“That’s something we preach all the time. Every shot counts and the most important shot in golf is the next one.
“So they really believed in it, and after that first day they had a four-shot lead over Kingwood, and then the second day they really kicked it into gear and played very well the rest of the tournament.”
The Highlanders continued playing well at the Region II-6A tourney.
They combined to card a 290 on the first day, finishing the round only two shots over par.
“We finally found something and the kids really stayed in it and finished off a good round the first day, and we were tied for first after the first day of the regional tournament with Austin Westlake,” Noski said.
“We wound up third. We shot 303 the second day, 593 total, but the good news is it advanced us to the state tournament.”
Senior Adrian Castagnola and junior Jacob Slay, the only golfers back from last year’s state-qualifying team, which placed fifth – four shots behind thirdplace Plano West – paced The Woodlands.
Slay paced the team with a 145 at the district tourney, followed by Castagnola at 146.
Conroe’s Chad Sewell won the district title with a 144.
“That was (Slay’s) best two rounds of the year,” Noski said.
Castagnola led the way at regionals, firing a 148, and Slay was second at 149, placing them both in the top 20 individually.
Juniors Ricardo Lopez and Will Arend, and sophomore JP Lavalle, round out the team.
The Class 6A state tournament is set for April 25-26 at Legacy Hills Golf Course in Georgetown.
“I’d be crazy to tell you our goals not to win,” Noski said. “I won a state championship with the B team in 2012 when no one even thought in a million years we belonged there. So I really preached to these guys after we finished the other day that they belong at this table.”