Ephrata boys golf team growing as competitors
Ephrata High School's Jacob Rawley measures his putt on the ninth green at Lakeview Golf & Country Club on May 13, 2021, at the NCR Boys Regional Golf Tournament.
FILE PHOTO
EPHRATA — The Ephrata High School boys golf coach has high expectations for his team.
“They're a bunch of guys that love to play and they are highly competitive kids, with themselves along with each other. I mean, they all want to beat each other and that's a benefit, and in some ways, it's a little bit of a hindrance when you're trying to get them to focus as a team,” said boys golf coach Greg Hewitt.
Hewitt, an Ephrata alumnus, has been coaching golf at Ephrata High School for more than 20 years.
This year’s team is young and heavy with athletes in the junior class, Hewitt said. He added that they are a very competitive group of golfers that he is working with to get them to gel as a team and develop as individuals.
Hewitt said the team’s goals include winning districts, making it to state and then winning state. He also said that he wants the golfers to be good students as well as athletes so they focus a lot on grades as well as having no attendance issues.
Hewitt also said that his team is shooting in the mid-to-low 80s but that he has a lot of confidence that they can shoot in the mid-to-low 70s, a goal he hopes they can reach by the end of the season.
At Chelan’s par 72 course on March 22, the varsity boys did as follows:
• Junior Kenji Pickeral - 40 in the first nine, 38 in the back nine for a total of 78. He made par or better on 11 holes of 18.
• Junior Max Hewitt - 42 in the first nine, 44 in the back nine for a total of 86.
• Junior Carter Burns - 41 in the first nine, 43 in the back nine for a total of 84.
• Senior Koa McWilliams - 48 in the first nine, 46 in the back nine for a total of 94.
• Junior Hunter Ogle - 45 in the first nine, 44 in the back nine for a total of 89.
• Junior Brayden Chornuk - 58 in the first nine, 56 in the back nine for a total of 114.
The Tiger golfers had a team score of 337 versus Chelan’s score of 421.
Their next match is after spring break, at Gamble Sands in Brewster on April 12.
Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.