Pictured From Left to Right: Jesse Dees, Lane Tallmadge, Scout Stinson, Drew Owens, Jaden Hutchens, Noah Patrick, Kaden Rogers, Lane Metcalf, Will Solomon, Coach Atchley
An odd thing happened Wednesday, August 5th at the Waldron Country Club….high school athletics. In an age when high school sports are nearly a year-round endeavor, due to a global pandemic, they have been dormant since March. But on Wednesday, the Waldron Bulldogs golf team saw a slow re-opening of their competition. “Man, I was just excited all day to finally get back to it and compete. I have several guys on the squad who don’t play any other sports in the fall, so they have been working really hard for this golf season and I’m just pumped for them that they get a chance to compete,” stated Waldron’s Golf Coach, Josh Atchley. “They have been asking me all summer and patiently waiting for directives from the AAA, and finally got the green light and did a good job in their first match.”
The first match of the season featured Booneville, Charleston, Mansfield, and Mena in addition to the Waldron Bulldogs. The Charleston Lady Tigers won the girls’ division with a team score of 133, followed by Booneville at 146, and Mansfield at 168. On the boys’ side of things, Waldron finished first with 114, Booneville with 130, and Charleston with 159. Mena and Mansfield competed individually in the boys’ division, while Waldron and Mena didn’t have any female golfers.
“This year’s team has a chance to compete for another district championship, and if they keep working, who knows what else.” The Waldron Bulldogs finished the regular season last year with a 12-0 record before earning fourth in the state championship last season at Blytheville Country Club. They returned all their golfers from that squad last year and hope to make another run at a successful season. “Last season was the first district championship on the boys’ side in school history and we hope to add to that number this year. This is the deepest team I have ever had and when that happens those top guys really get pushed to keep working on their games. It’s a good problem to have for sure.
On Wednesday the Bulldogs featured two seniors in Jaden Hutchens and Jesse Dees who both started playing golf their freshman year and have contributed to the team’s success ever since. Juniors Drew Owens, Lane Metcalf, and Lane Tallmadge who are consistent in their approach to the game. Sophomore Will Solomon and freshmen Noah Patrick, Scout Stinson, and Kaden Rogers all have worked to cut strokes off their game in a short amount of time.
“All of the guys that competed Wednesday did a good job of not letting one bad shot or one bad hole mess up their whole round. I also really enjoyed seeing some community members come out to the course just to watch these guys, whether it be because of being deprived of sports or wanting to see the start of golf season, I know my guys really appreciated it!”
The Golf Dog’s next match will be Monday, August 10 at Glenwood Country Club.
