The six players on the Greenwood Christian Academy boys golf team break huddle with the same words at the conclusion of every practice:
“Play after June 7.”
To do so, the Cougars need to advance past sectional for the first time in program history. An admirable goal, but hardly a tap-in considering second-ranked Center Grove and No. 10 Franklin are part of the 13-team field.
Third-year GCA coach Gary Hamilton remains confident just the same.
“It’s a very loaded sectional, and we realize it’s an uphill climb, but they take three teams (for regional),” Hamilton said. “We’re not scared of being able to get out of that sectional. We’ll be ready for June 7.”
The Cougars, led by junior No. 1 player Sutton Piercefield and sophomore No. 2 Ian Reed, are coming off Saturday’s first-place finish at the Hauser Invitational, played at Otter Creek in Columbus.
Piercefield finished third individually with a score of 77, followed by freshman Coen Bauschek’s 78 (fourth) and Reed’s 79 (fifth). Evan Stinnett, the team’s lone senior, carded a 91, and sophomore Parker Satre a 96. Junior Noah Cottongim rounds out the GCA roster.
“I feel we have a good team this season. We’re pretty confident in our ability,” Piercefield said. “My favorite part is how close we are and how we’ve bonded this season. We only have six players on our team, so at practice you don’t really have that many options to talk to.”
The Cougars placed an impressive third recently at the Martinsville Invitational behind only 20th-ranked Evansville North and No. 11 Silver Creek. GCA’s final count of 333 included Reed taking seventh overall with a 79 and Piercefield shooting 80 for ninth place.
To fully demonstrate what the Cougars are accomplishing this season, one must be shown where the program has been.
Greenwood Christian’s first taste of the postseason in boys golf was in 2010. Only three players represented the school, each shooting an 18-hole score between 104 and 148. The Cougars first posted a sectional team score four years later, the final tally being a binoculars-required 200 shots off first place.
The improvement has been gradual ever since.
In 2016, the Cougars escaped the sectional basement, placing 11th of 13 teams. The 2018 and 2019 GCA teams were 83 and 74 shots behind the first-place team at sectional, respectively.
Piercefield and Cottongim were part of the 2019 squad.
“I keep telling people we’re a work in progress,” said Hamilton, whose team hosts Lawrence North on Thursday at Smock Golf Course and attempts to defend its Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference title on Saturday at Hillview Country Club.
“We’re on par with where I thought we would be, but we haven’t reached our potential.”
The Cougars, still looking to break into the state’s top 20 or at least get some honorable mention votes for the first time ever, want to be playing their best golf in the postseason.
If they’re still holding team practices the second week of June, you’ll know that they are.
