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Area Teams Ready For District Golf Showdowns

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By MATTHEW PARKE Tribune correspondent

Published: October 15, 2007

As post-Sunshine Athletic Conference life ends, a new season begins for the teams of Pasco County as district championship tournaments take place today and Tuesday around the Tampa Bay area.

Stories arise as the SAC gets broken up into its district components: Can SAC boys co-champions Mitchell and River Ridge settle their score in one of the most competitive districts in the state? Also, now that Mitchell is safely tucked away in another district, will T.J. Adipietro recover from her second-consecutive SAC championship loss and lead her Wesley Chapel girls to a district title?

Class 2A-District 12 (Clearwater, Countryside, Dunedin, East Lake, Gulf, Hudson, Mitchell, Palm Harbor University, Ridgewood, River Ridge, Tarpon Springs). Girls tournament at Dunedin Country Club. Boys tournament at Wentworth Golf Club.
Hard feelings may carry over from last week's SAC boys tournament, where River Ridge's victory at Crescent Oaks earned it a share of the season championship with Mitchell.

The Royal Knights' Kiel Jackson won the individual championship at No. 1. Coach Mike Marlin said his team has a good shot to place in the top three. However, the district tournament site, Wentworth Golf Club, is unlike the friendly open fairways of Crescent Oaks in that it is 'long and narrow and a very tough test of golf,' Marlin said.

Mitchell coach Rick Hyatt said his boys were 'disappointed in having to share the title' but they are prepared to contend for the district. According to Hyatt, his team will need to shoot in the low 300s to advance to regional. The Mustangs' Kenny Cavender will be in the hunt for the individual title and Chaz Heinz has a chance to join him in advancing to regional.

The Mitchell girls got their revenge on the SAC season champs Wesley Chapel at the tournament, where Megan Van Etten took the individual title with her 62 at Hidden Creek. Van Etten, along with fellow SAC top-10 finishers Victoria Kinney and Sarah Yarborough, form a tough Mustang team with the depth to advance to the regional.

Class 2A-District 6 (Belleview, Central, Forest, Lake Weir, Land O' Lakes, Lecanto, Leesburg, Springstead, Vanguard, Wesley Chapel). Girls tournament at Eagle Creek. Boys tournament at Lexington Oaks.

Adipietro, Samantha Friese and Natalie Wells, who finished second, third and seventh in the SAC tournament, make the Wildcats a favorite to win the district. However, they have some serious competition from Lecanto and last year's district champion, Vanguard.

Wesley Chapel's boys may have had an up-and-down season after a fast start, which slowed when they matched up against the tougher SAC teams, but they have homefield advantage when they play at Lexington Oaks today. Brandon Mumaw has been the upstart leader for his Wildcats and his knowledge of his course could earn him a trip to regional.

Alison Howard gave the Land O' Lakes girls a late boost in the SAC tournament with her fifth-place round of 73. The Gators finished fifth in the tournament, but might not have enough depth to win the district. Howard and Kasey Ellis give the Gators their best chance for individual trips to regional.

'If all of our players play to their potential, we should have a great showing,' Gators coach Mary Jane Walker said. 'I am very proud of what they have accomplished this season.'

Land O' Lakes knows Lexington Oaks well, as it used to be its home course, and their Coach Tom Clark has 'high hopes for Wes Parrish and Josh Barnett.'

'We sometimes bring a different team to different outings and hopefully we will be ready and bring the team I know and come out on top,' Clark said.

Class 1A-District 9 (Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Citrus, Crystal River, Hernando, Hernando Christian, Nature Coast, Pasco, Saddlebrook, Seven Rivers Christian, South Sumter, Sunlake, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills). Girls tournament at Plantation Inn Golf Course. Boys tournament at Saddlebrook Country Club.

Saddlebrook's boys and girls should be able to repeat as district champions on their way to higher and tougher rounds of competition. Hugh Lindstrom, Seokil Kim and Constantine Heinrich will play in their own back yard for Saddlebrook and should be locks for regional and beyond. Bobby Bang of Citrus and Zephyrhills' Ricky Briggs, who placed second in the SAC tournament, could give them some headaches along the way.

Zephyrhills' Laurren McLeod has the match experience and the big driver to find her way to the regional tournament, but Citrus and Saddlebrook stand in the Bulldogs' way to improve on 2006's third-place district finish.

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