Golf Preview: Coaching, Format Changes Make For Exciting Transition Season

Posted: August 8, 2013

By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI

The return of senior Will Holmes, the reigning Northwestern District Golfer of the Year, is a big reason why James Wood is viewed as the top local team heading into this season. (Photo by Ginger Perry/The Winchester Star)

Brandon Dang is Clarke County’s lone returning regional qualifier. (Photo by Jeff Taylor/The Winchester Star)
WINCHESTER — In a historic year for coaching change among local high schools, golf did not go untouched.

Three of the five area high schools will be under new leadership this year.

At Handley, Toby Keller takes over for Tommy Arthur (nine years as coach). Keller will try to lift a Judges program that has finished last at the Northwestern District tournament each of the last two years.

At Millbrook, Mark Manspile takes over for Russ Korn (five years). Manspile takes over a team that brings back every key member of last year’s team, which struggled at the beginning of the year — including finishing last in all three of the district mini tournaments — but steadily improved as the year went on and placed third in the district tournament.

But the new coach who might be coming into the best situation is James Wood’s David Oates, who replaces Al Smith (seven years) after Smith left to take a job as head boys’ basketball coach at Tuscarora High School.

The Colonels return four of their top six golfers from last year’s team that swept the Northwestern District regular season and tournament titles. Two in particular boast some pretty impressive credentials — senior Will Holmes was Golfer of the Year for the Northwestern District and The Winchester Star, and junior Roger Repasky was the only Northwestern District golfer to qualify for the Group AA state tournament.

Though senior Thomas Papastavrou — who won the Northwestern District tournament last year — has elected to play for James Wood’s football team this fall, the Colonels should still be formidable.

“James Wood has to be considered the team to beat [in the Northwestern],” said Sherando’s 13th-year coach Rob Wright, whose typically strong program is undergoing a major youth movement this year — of the 21 people who came out for the team this year, there was just one senior and two juniors.

In Oates, James Wood adds a coach who knows something about succeeding as a Colonel. The 1985 James Wood graduate placed second in the Group AAA Northwestern Region Championships as a senior in 1984 and participated in the state tournament.

An avid golfer and member of Winchester Country Club, Oates said he’s looking forward to trying to get the most out of an experienced team and doing whatever he can to help them improve.

“Our focus in on excelling at the tournaments,” Oates said. “Golf is going to be the first sport that deals with conference play, and we’ve got a big red circle on Sept. 24. That’s when we want to be playing our best golf of the year.”

Conference play is a new, postseason-only level of competition that directly qualifies teams into region tournaments. (Previously, teams qualified for regionals through district competition.) James Wood, Millbrook and Sherando will have their conference tournament at Rock Harbor Golf Course in Winchester on Sept. 24, Handley’s is on Sept. 23 at Lake Monticello Golf Course in Palmyra, and Clarke County’s is on Sept. 25 at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.

The top two teams in the Conference 21 and 23 tournaments (and top six individuals outside those teams) will advance to region tournament action — James Wood, Millbrook, Sherando and Handley are in the Group 4A North. Clarke County is in the Group 2A East, but it is yet to determined how many teams and individuals will advance out of Conference 35 to the region tournament.

In short, conference tournaments are pretty important. And a big thing that James Wood will have going for it is playing in the Conference 23 tournament at Rock Harbor, which is the home course for both the Colonels and Millbrook.

“I’m not going to say it’s an easy course or a difficult course, but walking that course can be difficult,” Oates said. “That, and knowing more about the course than most of the other schools, can be a big advantage.”

Though James Wood’s golfers have experienced plenty of success, they’ll be tested locally.

Sherando may have some growing to do in terms of golf knowledge and physical stature (“When I ordered team shirts I asked for eight small and seven medium, and I’ve never done anything like that before,” Wright joked), but the Warriors aren’t lacking in talent.

Foremost among them is freshman Brett Loy, who owns a three handicap and has already established himself as a leader.

“He has good course management and makes good decisions,” Wright said. “His second shot is really nice. He has good putting ability. And other kids just gravitate toward him because he’s easy to get along with.”

A key returnee for Sherando is sophomore Mason Scott, who Wright said was under 5 feet, 6 inches as a freshman but has since sprouted six inches.

At Millbrook, Manspile is a 26-year-old Hedgesville (W.Va.) High School graduate who played in high school and is a member of Cress Creek Country Club in Shepherdstown, W.Va. He also played basketball at Shepherd University.

Manspile will have more veterans at his disposal than anyone in the district, and the Pioneers will be led by sophomore Ryan McGuire. As a freshman, McGuire placed fourth in the Northwestern District tournament and was Millbrook’s top finisher in 11 of 13 events.

At Handley, Keller is a 41-year-old Warren County High School graduate who has worked at several area golf clubs, including Winchester Country Club and Front Royal’s Jackson Chase Country Club and Bowling Green Country Club, where he currently works in the pro shop. Keller is also an assistant wrestling coach at Washington (W.Va.) High School, and he played baseball at Shenandoah University.

The Judges lost many of their top golfers from last year, but Keller has been pleased with what he’s seen from Colleen Connolly, a sophomore transfer from Moorefield (W.Va.) High School.

“She strikes the ball very well, and has a lot of potential,” Keller said.

Clarke County is coming off a season in which it finished third at the Bull Run District tournament and 4-2 in district duals.

The Eagles lost several of their top players from a year ago, but they do return senior Brandon Dang, who posted Clarke County’s best score (78) at last year’s Bull Run District tournament and is the team’s lone returning regional qualifier.

Handley and Sherando opened up play Wednesday in the Spotswood Invitational. James Wood, Millbrook and Clarke County all open today at the Curly Licklider Invitational at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Front Royal, a 17-team tournament that also features Handley and Sherando.

The following is a glance at each area team:

Sherando

Coach: Rob Wright, 13th year.

Last year: Second in the Northwestern District regular season and tournament; sixth in the Region II tournament.

Key losses: Chris Slater, Savannah Ford, Anthony Pierro, Hunter Gronlund.

Top returnee: Mason Scott, Soph.

Top newcomers (to top six): Brett Loy, Fr., Josh Hogue, Soph., Collin Ordonez, Jr., Jonah Pearson, Soph.

Wright’s outlook: “We’re real young. As the year goes on, the kids will get more experience. They’ve been working hard and playing a lot of good golf, and we’ve got several tournaments in the next couple of weeks that will give us a good idea of what to expect and what we need to work on.”

James Wood

Coach: David Oates, 1st year.

Last year: Northwestern District regular season and tournament champions; seventh in the Region II tournament.

Key losses: Thomas Papastavrou, Russell Repasky.

Top returnees: Will Holmes, Sr., Roger Repasky, Jr., Taylor Blake, Sr., Hunter Hall, Soph., Noah Keller, Sr.

Top newcomers: None mentioned.

Oates’ outlook: “Will and Roger have been relaxed with their play and shown a lot of leadership, and they are capable of going far in the postseason. For the team, we’re going to continue to work on a number of different things, including the mental side of the game.”

Millbrook

Coach: Mark Manspile, 1st year.

Last year: Third in the Northwestern District tournament and fifth in the district regular season.

Key losses: None mentioned.

Top returnees: Brian McGuire, Soph., Collin Shifflett, Sr., Matt Sousa, Sr., Ryan McCarty, So., Conner Pierson, Sr., Mitch Ulich, Sr.

Top newcomers: None mentioned.

Manspile’s outlook: “It’s a good group of kids and the parents have been really supportive. I think we can do well. I want to work on a number of areas like short game, chipping and putting, and just try and get them better every day.”

Handley

Coach: Toby Keller, 1st year.

Last year: Fourth in the Northwestern District regular season and fifth in the district tournament.

Key losses: Jessie Nolan, Taylor Watts, Michaela Barnett, Nick Leonard.

Top returnees: Will Armstrong, Sr., Jamie Miller, Jr.

Top newcomer: Colleen Connolly, Soph.

Keller’s outlook: “It’s my dream job to build a program, and Handley has a great program that’s looking to get back on the map. Our goal is to try and be better for every tournament. We’re rebuilding.”

Clarke County

Coach: Scott Tredway, 3rd year.

Last year: Third in the Bull Run District tournament.

Key losses: Ben Williams, John Catlett, Matt Lohmann.

Top returnees: Brandon Dang, Sr., Danny O’Donnell, Sr., Michael Miller, Sr., Connor Liggett, Sr.

Top newcomers: None mentioned.

Tredway’s outlook: “I think we’ll be a pretty strong team. We’ve got Brandon Dang as our No. 1 player, and hopefully his classmates will step up. As far as conference play, I’m not sure how it’s all going to shake out, but we’re looking forward to the challenge of taking on some strong competition.”

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