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Mitchell a menace on the greens

By STEVE LEE
Published September 27, 2006

TRINITY - Mitchell got the upper hand on Wesley Chapel last week - twice in one day.

Mitchell's girls extended their school-record streak Wednesday with a 177-179 home win over the Wildcats at Heritage Springs. That afternoon, the Mitchell boys defeated host Wesley Chapel 157-163 at Lexington Oaks.

"That was a good day for Mitchell," boys coach Rick Hyatt said.

In the girls match, Wesley Chapel's T.J. Adipietro edged longtime rival Emily Van Etten 35-36, but the Mitchell senior had a better supporting cast. River Ridge (3-2) became the 64th straight victim of Mitchell's girls Monday and Knights coach Ernie Beck feels the Mustangs might be better than last season.

"They're tough," Beck said. "I think they're tougher than last year. They didn't have anybody in the 50s and that's the secret to winning."

River Ridge's leaders shot in the 50s with junior Brittany Hahn and Arielle O'Brien, a freshman, sharing the team lead at 57.

Wesley Chapel's Andrew Horn and Mitchell's Kenny Cavender tied at 37 in Wednesday's boys match, but the Mustangs again won with a better output from teammates.

At 5-2, Mitchell's boys have recovered from an 0-2 start that included a one-stroke loss to the Wildcats. Last week's match, however, is the one that counted in the Sunshine State Conference, where the Mustangs are 5-0.

Cavender, a sophomore who averages just under 40, has emerged as the No. 1 with freshmen Chaz Heinz and Austin Richardson often finishing among the team's top four.

"My concern here is we have a lot of youth," Hyatt said, alluding to seven underclassmen on a roster of 10. "I was concerned about experience, so we scheduled a few extra matches at the beginning. We have a lot of young guys, but they're talented."

The River Ridge boys are off to a fast start at 6-0 with wins over Gulf, Hudson, Pasco, Wiregrass Ranch, Ridgewood and Zephyrhills.

Juniors Kiel Jackson and Jeff King, whose averages have hovered between 38-39, have been the most consistent. They're better in practice, according to coach Mike Marlin.

"They're both capable of shooting quite better than that," said Marlin, alluding to 35s and 36s by Jackson and King at Seven Springs' home course.

[Last modified September 26, 2006, 22:35:02]