Mustang golfers advance to state tourney

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lakewood Ranch High boys golf coach Dave Frantz saw one of his teams go undefeated and finish second in the state while coaching at Southeast.

And he saw another team, which averaged three shots over par, post some of Lakewood’s most impressive finishes. But this year’s Mustangs squad did something Frantz had never seen before in his 25 years of coaching high school golf.

Lakewood captured county, district and regional championships in the same season. On Oct. 25, the Mustangs shot a 292 and finished two shots ahead of Riverview to capture the Class 2A-Region 5 Championship.

As regional champions, the Mustangs qualified for the Class 2A state finals Nov. 2-3 at Juliette Falls in Dunnellon.

So what has been the key to this year’s squad’s success?

“Everyone’s personality meshes with the others amazingly well,” Frantz said. “They are as highly motivated, hard-working, and coachable as any team I have ever had in my 25 years of high school golf.”

After losing last year’s top player in Rocky Khara, who is now playing golf for Virginia Commonwealth University, and three-year starter Cole Medvetz, the Mustangs have spent this season focusing strictly on improving their game.

“We’re a lot more serious this year than we were last year,” junior Kyle Benson said. “Last year, we would screw around a lot in practice.”

Freshman Ramsey Touchberry, who captured individual Manatee County and district championships earlier this season, and Danny Walker joined fellow newcomer Dylan Hogan and three-year starters Benson, Connor Baldwin and Mitch Blanco on the course this season.

And the new additions have proven to be just what the Mustangs needed.

“Our top five guys are probably the best players in the county,” Baldwin said.

Benson agreed.

“We have a lot of talent,” Benson said. “We’re more talented than any team out there.”

In addition to county, district and regional championships, the Mustangs also won the Ida Baker High School Bulldog Invitational and nearly won the Donald Ross Memorial Invitational, finishing second to Bradenton Christian School in a sudden-death playoff.

Prior to the start of the state finals Nov. 2-3, the Mustangs played a pair of practice rounds on the course, which the team hoped would play to its advantage.

“Overall, the course fits our game really well,” said Baldwin, who finished as the individual regional runner-up.

The Mustangs hope to shoot at least a 295 or less both days and finish in the top five in the state.
“I expect our guys to play just as hard as they have practiced and worked on their games all season,” Frantz said. “I truly believe this team is psychologically physically ready to win. My job is to make sure that stays the case throughout the tournament.”

Be sure to check YourObserver.com to see how the Mustangs fared.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].