Spring Sports Preview: Returning core fuels Spoofhounds

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
MARYVILLE GOLF – Shown from left, front row: coach Larry Ricks, Ethan Evans, Derek Evans, Jackson Nielson, Chase Dew, Kaleb Groomer, Joe Snyders, Eli Walker, coach Brenda Ricks; second row: Dylan Groomer, Rylan Brady, Cannon Scarbrough, Kolton Jensen, Layne Ziegler, Lucas Hazen; third row: Brett Long, Ben Jaster, Jake Gard, Lucas Vierthaler, Dayton Tally, Jack Dinsdale; fourth row: Tanner Davis, Brandon Wilmes, Major Scarbrough, Matthew Williamson, Jacob Scott; back row: Sutton McAdams, Royse Laffey, Lane Hazen and Riley Collin. Not pictured: Ethan Scott, Colton Loucks, Dominik Naurez, Ambrose Sandusky-Ury and Jayden Puckett.

One look at the Maryville boys golf team photo will tell you that the Spoofhounds are deep this year, but diving into the roster more makes it even more exciting for coach Brenda Ricks because they are deep with experience and talent.

On a team loaded with experience, the most experienced players are twin brothers Jacob and Ethan Scott. The seniors have been fixtures near the top of the lineup for the past three years with each making state appearances.

“It is always great to come out and play again and have one more shot at everything,” Jacob Scott said of his growth. “I think a lot of it is on the mental side, just kinda knowing what happened the last couple years, growing upon that and improving.”

With one last season in the green and yellow, the Scott twins are focused on making it their best season and that means playing at their best late in the season and at the district and state tournament.

“I think I’ve worked a lot on my game since last spring,” Jacob Scott said. “Just putting in the reps and making sure that I get prepared for this year.”

Junior Jack Dinsdale has also made multiple state trips and shot a career-best 77 in the second round at state last season, finishing 22nd overall. If Dinsdale can put together consecutive rounds like that this season, he could find himself high on the state podium.

“We should have a really good team,” Dinsdale said. “There is a lot to be excited about. It’s really competitive and I think that we are going to have a really good year.

“Our experience will definitely help us a lot. Pretty much everyone who is going to be on varsity will have experience playing in tournaments and everyone has a lot of competitive experience. That should carry us a lot throughout the year.”

While the top-end experience of the team is exciting, it is the depth and the options in the lineup that makes Maryville so difficult to deal with as a team.

Lucas Vierthaler was the team’s breakout player last season in his first year with the team. Another set of talented twins, Dylan and Kaleb Groomer, add to that group competing for varsity spots.

“I think we will have a lot of different people playing in varsity matches just because of how deep we are,” Dinsdale said. “I think that anyone can really go out and shoot the best score on the team. It is just a matter of how well someone is playing each day.”

Rylan Brady and Royse Laffey are additional players with experience in varsity events who are fighting for playing time. Brett Long is a player who Ricks’ has been impressed with his improvement and could also factor in.

“We do have a lot of golfers,” Ricks said. “But the one thing for me is that I love to see kids out on the golf course. I realize that not all of them will get to compete and they realize that too, but they get to come out here and they get to learn how to golf appropriately. I’m excited that they are all here.

“We figure that we have eight to 10 seriously vying for those top five spots and that is just going to make us so much better.”

The 33-man roster also has plenty of other players capable of breaking out and making an impact as the team prepares for its first tournament on April 1 in St. Joseph.

“Really the only goal is to send a team to state and play well at state,” Dinsdale said. “That is all of our main goal.”