Golf

Iron Men: Carroll Returns to State

Dragons Golfers Follow Girls to Austin After 2-Year Absence

By Zach Warner
The Southlake Journal

Taking a tip from the Carroll girls golf team, the Carroll boys pulled off their own comeback last week at the 5A Region I golf meet in Lubbock.

Sitting in fourth place, but in a much tighter contest than the girls’ tournament earlier in the week, the Dragons dropped their second-day score as a team by a total of 14 strokes to finish in second place at the meet.

In doing so, the Carroll boys team returned to the 5A state golf tournament, ending a two-season drought in which the Dragons were shut out from the trip to Austin. It is also the first time in Carroll coach Matt Glenn’s five years at the helm that both the boys and girls golf teams advanced to state in the same season.

"Getting back is a good thing," said Glenn, whose boys shot a 596 two-day total (305-291) to finish eight strokes behind Dallas Jesuit (588), the boys regional champ. "With the boys, everything has to go right. The competition is so strong [at region]."

Carroll, which had both its A team (Black) and B team (Green) at the regional meet, was in fourth and 11th place, respectively, after Day 1. The Dragons A team trailed Mansfield (third place) by one and Jesuit (second) by two, as El Paso Hanks led with a 300 after Day 1.

But Carroll’s A team leapfrogged both Mansfield and Hanks to finish up trailing only Jesuit on the second day. As one of the top two teams at region, the Dragons join the Carroll girls team at the state meet May 8-9 at Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Austin.

The Lady Dragons were in third and trailing first place by 10 strokes at region, only to come back and win the event by 12 strokes after an impressive second day on the greens.

"It kind of went the same way as with the girls team’s performance," Glenn said of the Carroll boys’ comeback. "There was a lot of confidence at the team meeting. They said, 'We’re going to get out this year, coach.’

"I think it was pure determination," he said. "I think they just set it in their minds."

Carroll freshman Tyler Dunlap led the way for the Dragons, posting a two-day 147 (75-72) to finish tied for sixth individually. Junior Justin Willeman was next with a two-day 148 (74-74) to tied for 10th overall.

Other Carroll A team scores included Luke Thacker (150), Jeff Hageman (153) and Brandon Stuart (154). The Carroll B team, which finished 12th overall at region with a 639, was led by Brendan Alexander’s 154.

Glenn said that the Carroll A team’s march to a state berth was far from a one-man show.

"What really makes the team great is that we don’t have one guy who keeps [the score] low," he said. "Every one of them can keep it under 75 if they keep focused. It’s that depth that allows them to do well, and that’s what helped us against El Paso Hanks.

"We had solid golf, really from all five of them."

Glenn, who took the Dragons golf program to the next level when he took over in 2003-2004, guided the boys to its first state title in his first year as Carroll coach. The Dragons returned to state in 2005 to finish second, but Carroll’s only boys team representation in Austin since then was when former player Jeff Edelman qualified and finished second individually in 2006.

After coming up short at region previously, the Lady Dragons made their first appearance at state under Glenn last year. The Carroll girls took third, the team’s best finish in the program’s history, and Glenn said both teams have a chance to compete for medals this season as well.

"Peaking at the right time, like when you’re heading to the state tournament, is a great position to be in," he said. "If you can keep that good taste in your mouth heading into state, good things can happen."

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