Golf: Knights look to maintain consistency against South Carroll, Smithsburg

By Ben Spector

Winning After MidKnight

                         

The Middletown High School Golf team is a team that is currently trying to find their identity as their season begins. The Knights have had major changes from last year with two of their top golfers from last year, Jake Darr and Nick DeSimone having graduated. Adding to the list of departures was Middletown head coach Ethan Lester who left to take over the new Women’s Golf program at Hood College. The elements for a successful season still remain and in the Knights’ first contest against Catoctin and Liberty those foundations could be clearly seen.

Two of the returning Knights from last year, senior Andrew Heon and sophomore Joey Weiland shot under 40 for the Knights in the season opener pacing the Knights to a team score of 166, a 15 stroke advantage over Catoctin and just four strokes behind Liberty, who won the tri-match.

For the Knights, it was a sign that they still had the talent to compete a year after a 2^nd place state championship finish and more importantly after losing some of the main pieces of their team.

Both Heon and Weiland were on the four-man squad that made it to the state championship last year with both performing solidly in the two day tournament including the then-sophomore Weiland who posted scores of 78 and 74 to finish the state tournament in a tie for 18^th place.

Some of the credit for the consistency that the Knights’ will hope to show as the season on has to be delivered to the top of the chart where Ed Roark has stepped into the role of head coach after being an assistant behind Lester for the past two years. Roark who helped guide the Knights team to the state championship last year takes over at the helm of a team who is teaming with talent.

Not only does the Knights team have veterans like Weiland and Heon but they also have a unique mix of young players who contain raw talent such as Joseph Montgomery but a mix of older guys who are looking to leave a lasting mark such as Robbie Houck and newcomer Connor Stevens.

The Knights two opponents on Monday the 22^nd, the South Carroll Cavaliers and the Smithsburg Leopards are two programs that are also looking to head in a positive direction after placing golfers in the state championship last year. Smithsburg heads into today’s match after taking down Brunswick in their opening match of the season while South Carroll is playing in their first match today.