The Philomath High School boys golf program is heading into its second season with a new face on the coaching staff and a roster that skews decidedly young — but head coach Mike Hood sees plenty of promise in the numbers.
“We have a total of 13 kids out,” Hood said. “There’s a few that are dual sporting, so we don’t see them as much, but it’s a great opportunity for all those kids to learn the game of golf. It’s just a big learning experience for them and a good opportunity to do it.”
Hood takes over the program after it was launched last year under Hunter Biviano. The experienced administrator — he also serves as Philomath’s athletic director and assistant principal — had originally been advertising for someone to fill the coaching vacancy before stepping in himself.
“It’s a lot right now with everything else I’m doing but totally worth it because it’s getting these kids out and playing, and that’s a good thing to grow the game,” he said.
Hood brings a varied coaching background to the links. While basketball has been his primary sport, he has also coached golf, tennis and volleyball.
“Coaching golf is great — I love the small number of kids and the deeper relationships that can be built,” he said.
With most of the roster made up of first-time golfers, player development will be the central focus this spring.
“It’s a lot of learning the rules, learning course etiquette, learning technique, learning how to swing — there’s a lot of them that just haven’t played before,” Hood said. “So it’s really a cool experience for them to learn the sport and play it quite a bit over the course of the next couple of months.”
The youth of the roster can be traced directly back to the program’s inaugural season. Last year’s team carried 12 athletes, but nine of them were seniors. Roman Robins is the only returning player.
“We’re excited about having him and he’s going to provide a lot of leadership,” Hood said. “He’s a senior, so he’s our No. 1 right now.”
Joining Robins are juniors Lane Bettencourt and Jamin Peters, sophomores Avery Petrovich and Clayton Warren, and a class of eight freshmen — Cameron Barlow, Corban Black, Lev Grose, Isaiah Hood, Joseph McGovern, Maddox Olsen, Devin Warren and Conrad Yates. Bill Hood is serving as an assistant coach.
The Warriors open the season Monday at the Cascade Classic at Creekside Golf Club in Salem. Their lone home match follows April 6 at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis. Additional tournaments are scheduled at Mallard Creek in Lebanon, Langdon Farms in Aurora, Santiam in Aumsville and Cross Creek in Dallas.
The Oregon West Conference meet is set for May 11-12 at Tokatee Golf Club in McKenzie Bridge, with the 4A championships to follow May 18-19 at Emerald Valley Golf and Resort in Creswell.
A year ago, Philomath fell just short of reaching state, finishing fifth out of nine teams at the district tournament at Tokatee — one placing away from qualifying. With a predominantly new group and a coaching staff equally invested in building the program, the emphasis this season is on laying a foundation for the future.