It is boys golfing season, and this year could not be better for the Crusaders on the team. With Dr. Matusiak as head coach, this has been the best season so far, and it is all thanks to the great skill, character and teamwork that each player possesses.

After talking with Dr. Matusiak, it is apparent the boys’ golf team has done it all. Throughout the season they went 9-1-1 in dual matches, and they participated in four varsity tournaments and two JV tournaments. Of those tournaments, varsity won all four while the JV team won first in one of their two. It is safe to say that all levels of the program were hungry for wins out on the course after putting up numbers like that.

But what exactly goes into the makeup of such an incredible team? Dr. Matusiak accredited it to the teamwork and camaraderie that the boys put on display.

“Everyone on the team supports and encourages each other. There is no animosity among the team, and this has certainly contributed to our success,” Dr. Matusiak explained.

This teamwork can be especially beneficial for the team’s freshmen—including Evan Phillips—who only has good things to say about the St, Dominic program.

“My experience has been very positive. The upperclassmen have been really nice, and that made it a fun season for me. My favorite moment was definitely the early morning tournament when we rode a bus out to Wolf Hollow and won,” Phillips stated.

It’s early little road trips like that where anyone can see how strong bonds between the players would be helpful, but what about leadership? In order for there to be good relationships between the players there have to be some key glue players that inspire everyone else to perform and that’s where the seniors such as Brendan Deters come into play.

“I try to lead others by staying positive at all times. In golf, you can get down on yourself quickly, which hurts your play. A good leader will tell the team to keep your head up and worry about the next shot. I always try to convey this in my words and in my actions,” Deters mentioned.

Sophomore Kelly Welby is one of the many players with great admiration for the seniors on his team.

“I completely look up to the seniors on our team for how they contribute to our team in a leadership position. A lot of these guys have been to big tournaments before and understand what it’s like, so they definitely take a leadership role for our team. I love all of the guys that will graduate this year, and I hope I can take part in the leadership they had in the years to come,” Welby said.

This combination of leadership and teamwork has led to some absolutely incredible moments for all of the players on the team, and it seems like each one of them has at least one memory that they will cherish for years to come.

“My favorite moment was winning Conference for the first time in St. Dominic’s history. It was a tough course, and we battled very hard to win it,” Deters said.

Despite the success that the boys have experienced so far, there is still a steep hill to climb and a big bunker for them to get out of if they want to become the champs of the next level. Monday May 10 marks the day where the varsity competed in the District tournament at Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Washington, MO. Kyle Kelley, Colin Aubuchon and Kelly Welby for the state tournament on May 17 and May 18 in Joplin.

No matter what the rest of the season holds, the boys golf team should be proud of themselves for such an amazing season. After having the best record out of any team in St. Dominic’s history, this could be the team to get some major hardware for the SDHS trophy case.