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Unbeaten East Bay Girls Ready To Face Tough District Field

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By ADAM ADKINS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2007

Undefeated regular seasons usually fuel optimism for postseason showdowns, which is why East Bay girls golf coach Tim Mays is feeling pretty good entering today's Class 2A-District 11 tournament.

'We look pretty good right now,' Mays said Wednesday, a day after the Indians completed a 10-0 regular season with a five-stroke victory against Newsome. But Mays knows the Indians still have some work cut out for them.

A bad day for the Indians today at Walden Lake in Plant City can ruin all the good that happened during the regular season, not to mention end the team's season. And to make matters more difficult, there seems to be little room for error.

Trapped in a district that includes Wharton and Durant, two of the top girls programs in Hillsborough County, East Bay, in all likelihood, will have to battle it out with the rest of the district teams for the final team berth to the region tournament, a tournament the Indians haven't been to since 2001.

'It's going to be whoever has a good day. There are some good teams out there, obviously, but we've got a pretty good chance,' Mays said.

In order to advance, the Indians will undoubtedly need their top two players, sisters Julie and Abby Rolfe, to perform like they're capable. But, according to Durant coach Dick Sheffield, the top players might not necessarily be the ones who decide things.

'Can the front-runners meet their goals, and can the Nos. 4 and 5 players shoot well enough to support the leaders,' Sheffield wrote in an e-mail of his keys to advancing to the region tournament.

Sheffield believes two things will factor into the equation, especially for players near the back of their teams' lineups. First, the transition from the regular-season nine-hole format to 18 holes; and second, the fact that players likely won't be paired with a teammate for the first time this season, which could bring them out of their comfort zones.

'Some may not adapt well to the pressure that accompanies this tournament,' Sheffield wrote.
Mays agrees the performance at the back end of his lineup, which includes senior Nicole Miller and sophomores Krystal Jacobson and Chynna Yates, will be the determining factor if his team advances.

'That's what I think it is going to be,' Mays said. 'The bottom three, what are they going to come out doing?'

Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 657-4533 or aadkins@tampatrib.com.

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