Golf Preview

Coach:Al Smith, sixth year

Last year: Finished fourth in the Northwestern District tournament

Key losses:Dylan McKee, Corey Cochran

Top returnees:Russell Repasky, Jr., Kyle Hevner, Sr., Will Holmes, So., Alex Spalding, Sr.; Taylor Blake, So.

Top newcomer:Roger Repasky, Fr.

Outlook:Outside of Sherando, no Northwestern District school can claim a stronger start to the season than James Wood. The Colonels finished 16th in the 30-team Curly Licklider, finishing only behind Sherando among district schools, and they placed second at the Millbrook Invitational, which featured every district team but the Warriors.

Smith expects the team's two Region II qualifiers last year, Hevner (the Millbrook Invitational champion) and Holmes, to set the tone.

However, Russell Repasky showed his ability by posting the team's best score and the district's fourth best score at the Curly Licklider. Smith said Russell's relationship with his younger brother Roger is just one of the many competitive battles within a team that could feature as many as eight different golfers in its top six.

"The first day [of tryouts] Roger was a couple strokes behind [Russell], the next day he was a stroke behind, and the third day he beat him by a stroke, so they have something going on," Smith said. "It's good. Competition is good.

"And it's good that we've got different people leading. I think we're going to get improvement from our middle guys, so I think it's going to be a fun season."