LaSalle Gears Toward 3rd Straight Trip to State Finals

The St. Ignace Saints Golf team includes Coach Ben Brown, Dane Christiansen, Tyler Mapes, Drew Cope, Joe Brown, Kyle O'Boyle, Brad Silet, and Curtis Hetherington. Missing from photograph is Jeffrey Gamble. The St. Ignace Linksters are gearing toward a third consecutive trip to the Division IV State Finals and have a strong nucleus returning that includes five seniors with 18 years of combined experience.

High school golf will have a new format to qualify for the state finals at Michigan State University. The teams begin the tourney with districts, new this year at Boyne Highlands, followed by regionals at Traverse City, with the top three teams qualifying for the state finals.

Saints Golf Coach Ben Brown with Joe Brown and Brad Silet, qualifiers last season for individual State finals. Third-year coach Ben Brown and the Saints will be led by seniors Joe Brown, Brad Silet, and Curtis Hetherington in their fourth season on the links and Kyle O'Boyle and Dew Cope in their third year.

The younger Brown has qualified for the individual state championship in Division IV the last two seasons and finished runner-up last year while earning All-State honors, Straits Area Conference (SAC) Golfer of the Year, and led the Saints with an 18-hole average of 76 and nine-hole average of 37 during 2004.

Silet earned a spot at the Division IV individual state finals and was named to the All-SAC First Team while improving his average to 81 for 18 holes and 38 for nine holes.

Hetherington averaged 41 for nine holes and 81 for 18. O'Boyle tallied 39 for nine and 86 for 18, and Cope notched 43 for nine and 96 for 18. Brown, Silet, and O'Boyle played on the Powerbilt Junior Tour during the summer to prepare for the upcoming season.

"We have the talent for another successful season," said Coach Brown. "The tourney format will make it tougher to qualify for the finals, but we must work hard in preparation for the regular season and the tourney."

The Saints schedule begins with tournaments at Rudyard, Cheboygan, and Inland Lakes prior to classes starting September 6 and home matches along with road meets at Newberry, Rudyard, Mancelona, Cheboygan, Sault High, Petoskey Tourney, and SAC Meet at Mackinaw City in preparation for the regionals that could qualify St. Ignace for the state finals.

Joe Brown Will Carry Links

Success to Next Level

Joe Brown begins his final season at LaSalle High School (LHS) with thoughts of golfing at the next level on a college or university course.

The senior, one of the top golfers to compete at LHS, will carry his talents to the next level, but at this time is undecided where he will study and play.

Brown earned All-State Division IV after placing second at the individual state finals and SAC Golfer of the Year last season and is the three-time Most Valuable Golfer at LHS while earning league honors the last two seasons. He holds the school record in four statistics that include nine-hole average at 34, 18 hole mark of 68, nine-hole scoring average of 37.5, and 18 hole at 76.17

"Joe has worked hard on his game and his effort has paid off, " said John McKinnon, former Saints high school coach. "He has strong work ethics and is determined to close out his high school career on a positive note."

ST. IGNACE SAINTS

Varsity Golf Schedule

August

17 at Rudyard Tourney

19 Pellston/Rudyard

22 at Rudyard (SAC)

26 at Cheboygan Tourney

30 Sault Ste. Marie

(2 p.m.)

31 at Inland Lakes Tourney (1 p.m.)

September

6 Rudyard (4 p.m.)

9 at Petoskey Tourney

(9 a.m.)

12 at Newberry (SAC) 15 Newberry (4 p.m.)

19 at Pellston/Mancelona (4:30 p.m)

21 at Cheboygan (4 p.m.)

27 at Sault Ste. Marie

(4 p.m.)

29 at Newberry (4 p.m.)

TBA Districts

(tenatively September 29, 30 or October 1)

October

3 at Mackinaw City

(SAC Meet 10 a.m.)

6-7 Regionals

14-15 State Finals