’Cats eager to regain Alliance supremacy

MHS boys golf brings back a bulk of varsity lineup

The Marshalltown boys' golf team has the schedule to challenge it and the roster to rise to to meet it.

Now it's time to play.

The Bobcats bring back five of six players from last season's varsity roster and a handful of others in the mix to compete as the team tees up the fall campaign. Marshalltown travels to Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo on Thursday for the RVC Triangular to start the new season, and hopes remain as high as they traditionally are for the Bobcats.

"I think there's a lot of enthusiasm around the game of golf, which is what you want to see," said MHS head coach Lucas Johnson. "We had a lot of players that, especially in that junior class, got excited about golf and then used this summer to actually become golfers and not just guys that get around (the course) but start to think about score.

"Last year, for a lot of those guys, was a good learning year, and we talked a lot about using this summer to compete and to go out and play everyday and get better."

Marshalltown's varsity lineup this fall will resemble last year's, which featured the same six varsity players for every meet. Trae Misek was the only mainstay to graduate from last year's starting lineup, so the Bobcats are looking to compete right out of the gate.

Parker Christen and Jacob Seberger stand out as seniors in the varsity lineup for MHS, each contributing a counting score in nine of 12 events last fall. Christen averaged 42.81 strokes per nine holes, while Seberger shot 43.43.

"Our two senior captains are going to be relied upon to be the consistent presences in that varsity lineup," Johnson said, "because they've got the experience and they know that's what we expect out of them is to be that consistent presence."

The Bobcats also bring back three juniors from last year's lineup, starting with Joe Greazel. The top scoring player on the team last fall, Greazel averaged 36.86 per nine holes and had his score count in every meet.

Greazel was the team's leading scorer every meet, too, so expectations will match his ability on the links.

"Joe Greazel has put himself in a position to have a really strong year," Johnson said. "He played a ton of junior tournaments throughout the summer and had some really successful rounds, so that'll give him the confidence to compete with everybody at the (Class) 4A level."

Johnson considers that a whale of a statement, too.

"I think if you look at the level of golf being played right now in the state of Iowa, it's as good as it's ever been," he said. "You're seeing a lot of guys go on to the Division I level, so it's a great spot to be in and I know Joe's excited to go out and make some noise."

Fellow juniors Gavin Misek and Bryson Payne both contributed counting scores in six of 12 meets last fall, averaging 43.19 and 44.52 strokes, respectively. They're joined by classmates Aiden Holmgren, Korben McKibben, Oliver Young, and West Marshall transfer Isaac Anderson in competition for the varsity lineup.

"Gavin Misek's a player who showed that he can get hot and shoot a low round last season," Johnson said. "Bryson played an awful lot of varsity matches last year, and bringing Isaac Anderson in, he's shown in the first couple days of practice that he's going to be somebody that's going to put his name in there.

"Aiden Holmgren, Oliver Young, Korben McKibben -- they're all going to be right there too. That top nine I think has separated themselves a little bit, and then it would not shock me at all if we see some underclassmen start to really lock into their games and see what they're able to do."

The Bobcats narrowly missed out on winning the Iowa Alliance Conference for the fourth year in a row last fall, coming up four strokes shy of Ottumwa in the league meet. The conference tournament will remain a target for Marshalltown just the same, regardless of last year's near-miss.

Having a lot of last year's lineup back is a big part of the steadfast expectations.

"I think the benefit of it is that the course familiarity is going to be there," Johnson said. "We try and keep a similar rotation of invites and courses, but we also try and bring in one or two new ones this year."

Marshalltown pulled out of Mason City's Dick Garth Invitational and added the Cedar Rapids Washington Invite that this year will be played at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines.

"Our guys are getting to see great courses, see great competition, and when we're building a schedule that's what it's about is what great courses can we play and what great competition can we face? Because that's what will prepare us for the end of the year.

"When we sit down at the start of the season, those are always just kind of automatic goals for us is we want to win the Alliance Conference, we want to qualify for state, we want to compete against the best teams, and so that's what these early days of practice are all about is seeing where we're at in relationship to those goals.

"You can't go out on Day 1 and meet those goals, but you can start putting yourself in the position and start having the habits that will allow you to do that."