Boys golf: Season preview

Braxton Christie and his father Sean haven’t always quite seen eye to eye on the golf course. When he was a younger player, Braxton sometimes bristled at his dad’s instruction, something he now chalks up as “me being a dumb kid and not listening.”

That relationship has evolved over the years, which is probably a good thing now that Sean Christie is stepping into the head coaching role at Indian Creek — where Braxton, now a senior, is the team’s No. 1 player.

Don’t expect any of the old fireworks between the two this spring. Sean Christie plans to leave his son be and focus his energy on the Braves’ second through fifth players; that, he says, is where matches are won and lost.

“I know that I can leave Braxton alone, and he’s capable now of training himself and working,” Sean Christie said. “He doesn’t necessarily need me standing there.”

“Me and him have that trust where I know he’s going to help the younger kids out, and he knows that I’m going to do my thing and be the best I can no matter what,” Braxton agreed.

That’s not the worst formula. Braxton Christie has been Indian Creek’s best player since transferring from Greenwood after his freshman year, and he’s got lofty individual goals for himself this spring that include medaling at the county tournament and qualifying for state. But if the Braves are to make the kind of noise as a team that Sean Christie thinks they’re capable of, it’ll be the supporting cast that makes it happen.

There’s reason for optimism; three other players who were in Indian Creek’s 2021 postseason lineup — Ryan Lengerich, Toby Sturgell and Hayden Westerfield — are also back. Sean Christie believes the key to making the leap forward and becoming a sectional contender is the mental side of the game.

“We have to start acting like we belong,” he said. “We’re a golf team. I know it’s Indian Creek, and I know that attitudes are a little bit different about Indian Creek, but man, we’re a golf team. … I’ve tried to really instill that this year that we belong.”

Braxton is in complete agreement, because he’s seen a similar transformation happen in the county recently. Greenwood Christian — where he attended school through eighth grade — broke through last year and made its first regional appearance after several years of being a nonfactor.

“GCA wasn’t that good of a team my freshman year; in fact, they were terrible,” Braxton said. “But they got a coach in, they got some players that believed and had confidence, and look at them now. They’re juniors, seniors and they’re a really, really solid team, and they’re going to do big things this year and maybe even next year too.

“I feel like if we just do that same thing and just believe in ourselves and get confidence, and practice and work hard, we can be right up there with them.”

That confidence isn’t always easy to come by. Braxton admits to getting trapped inside of his own head at times in the past, caring too much about individual shots and psyching himself out in the process.

He’s in a better place now. Having committed to Franklin College last fall, Braxton can just relax this spring and let the game come to him without worrying about his future.

“Now that I have that process out of the way, it’s how it should have been in the first place — just go out there and play golf,” he said. “No matter who’s watching you or how many people are watching you, you’ve just got to go out and play.”

That’s more or less what Sean Christie wants the entire Braves team to do — play with comfort and confidence.

“If we do that,” the coach said, “I think we can place in county and I think we can make it a long way.”

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SCOUTING THE COUNTY

Center Grove Trojans

Coach: Matt Rodman

Last season: Won sectional, regional and state championships

Key returnees: Luke Beetz, Sam Hord and Drew Rowen, seniors; Brady Schier, junior

Top newcomer: Mike Young, junior

Outlook: Though three of the top five players return from last spring’s state title team, the Trojans aren’t letting complacency set in. The word “repeat” has yet to be mentioned; this group is proceeding as though it hasn’t won a state-record six consecutive regionals. Schier and Young were both second-team contributors last season, with Schier getting some first-team action, but they’ll also be pushed by a deep and talented group of newcomers. Center Grove is never starving for talent, and a state championship is once again a realistic end goal.

Edinburgh Lancers

Coach: Kyle Dell

Last season: Seventh at county, 12th at Franklin Sectional

Key returnees: Cash Cunningham and Trevor Moon, seniors; Max Blandford, Mason Calhoun, Devin Hamilton, Devyn Milburn and Keegan Smith, juniors

Top newcomers: Ian Buchanan, senior; Wyatt Burton, sophomore; Caleb Murphy, freshman

Outlook: The Lancers have a larger and more experienced squad than usual, with three seniors and five juniors among the 10 players out. Blandford was two strokes short of advancing to the regional last season and hopes to get out this spring; Moon and Calhoun should fill in the second and third spots in the lineup, and Dell hopes the competition at four and five will force everyone to get better. Competing for the Mid-Hoosier Conference title is a primary goal, along with improving overall scoring and closing the gap at the county and sectional levels.

Franklin Grizzly Cubs

Coaches: Ted Bishop and Crystal Morse

Last season: Won county championship; second at sectional, third at regional, 14th at state

Key returnee: Will McGuinness, senior

Top newcomers: Luke Bechert, Conner Diebold, Kyle Diebold, Kadin Gibson and Jake Lock, sophomores; Reid Davidson, freshman

Outlook: Four of the five players from last year’s surprise state qualifier have graduated, including All-State performer Damon Dickey, so the Grizzly Cubs are undergoing a youth movement of sorts. McGuinness provides a solid veteran presence, but the lineup will be filled out by underclassmen, with Bechert, Gibson, Lock and Davidson (Bishop’s grandson) currently rounding out what should be a balanced top five. Franklin could go through some growing pains but should still compete with Greenwood and GCA for regional berths.

Greenwood Woodmen

Coach: Thom Hord

Last season: Fourth at county, fifth at Franklin Sectional

Key returnees: Eli Poe and Jackson Watkins, seniors; Conner Chase, Drew Dhondt and Blake Roscoe, juniors

Top newcomers: Adam Ellinghausen and Aidan Luttrell, juniors; Davis Arthur and Jahlen Burton, freshmen

Outlook: Hord is highly encouraged by the offseason effort and the overwhelming turnout this spring. Watkins, an individual regional qualifier last season, should be pushed at the top of the lineup by a rapidly improving Chase. Poe and Roscoe, both lineup fixtures a year ago, head up a deeper supporting cast. The Woodmen were just 10 strokes shy of a regional spot in 2021 and should be very much in the mix for one come June.

Greenwood Christian Cougars

Coach: Gary Hamilton

Last season: Third at county and sectional, eighth at regional

Key returnees: Noah Cottongim and Sutton Piercefield, seniors; Ian Reed and Parker Satre, juniors; Coen Bauschek, sophomore

Top newcomers: Jonathan Rosener, junior; Noah Reed, freshman

Outlook: Fresh off the first regional appearance in school history, the Cougars now view that as an expectation rather than an aspiration. Four of the five players return from last season’s lineup, led by Piercefield and Ian Reed up top. Competition for the three advancing spots at the sectional should be fierce, but GCA comes in with the most experienced and accomplished top-to-bottom lineup in the county outside of Center Grove. It should be in strong position to at least replicate last year’s breakthrough.

Indian Creek Braves

Coach: Sean Christie

Last season: Fifth at county, seventh at Franklin Sectional

Key returnees: Braxton Christie, Nolan Greene and Toby Sturgell, seniors; Ryan Lingerich and Tyler Rumble, juniors; Caleb Hicks and Hayden Westerfield, sophomores

Outlook: The Braves finished slightly back of the lead pack at county and sectional last spring, but with four of five starters returning and all but two players back overall, the hope is that this year’s club can put itself in the thick of the competition. Braxton Christie should again be one of the county’s top individuals, and the trio of Lengerich, Sturgell and Westerfeld offers additional talent and experience. Developing greater consistency and confidence will be among the keys to Indian Creek’s success.

Whiteland Warriors

Coach: Adam Webb

Last season: Sixth at county, ninth at Franklin Sectional

Key returnees: Will Davis and Evan Meece, seniors; Garrett Butler, junior

Top newcomers: Dylan Gross and Max Sullivan, seniors; Brayden Paterek and Ethan Rice, juniors

Outlook: First-year coach Webb inherits a team that returns three of its top five — including one of the county’s top players in Davis — but doesn’t have much overall experience. Several multi-sport athletes are out for the first time, and while Gross is about the only safe bet to crack the varsity lineup early on, there is plenty of intriguing talent in the bunch capable of contributing at some point. Aside from any individual accolades for Davis, this season will largely be about Webb laying a foundation for future success.