HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Edmond North-Jenks battle looms by ken macleod
Of all the high school golf storylines derail the Huskies, it will have to take that will play out this spring, perhaps advantage of its familiarity with one of 2011 State High School none is as intriguing as the titanic batthe state’s most challenging courses. Championship Sites tle shaping up between Edmond North Not only is Staggs a Cedar Ridge Girls - May 4-5 and Jenks in the Class 6A state chammember, but so are talented sopho6A, Earlywine Golf Course, Oklahoma City pionship May 9-10 at Cedar Ridge more Brendan Jelley and senior Eric 5A, Bailey Ranch Golf Course, Owasso Country Club in Broken Arrow. Coatney, a newcomer to the team 4A, Lake Hefner South, Oklahoma City Edmond North comes in with a who was previously home schooled. 3A, Dornick Hills Country Club, Ardmore swagger, having won six consecuJuniors Aaron Davis and Will McDon2A, Sugar Creek Canyon, Hinton tive 6A state titles and boasting four ald round out the starting five. Boys - May 9-10 returning starters from the 2010 title “I’m hoping we’ll have a little bit of 6A, Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow team. Jenks wore the state crown the a home course advantage,” said Jenks 5A, Dornick Hills Country Club, Ardmore six years prior to Edmond North’s run coach Brent Wilcoxen. “We’re hoping 4A, Lake Hefner North, Oklahoma City and has three starters who are memto start a new streak.” 3A, Cimarron Trails, Perkins, bers at Cedar Ridge, led by Oklahoma Fro that to happen, Wilcoxen will 2A, Sugar Creek Canyon, Hinton State signee Colton Staggs. need Staggs at his best. The senior Edmond North fields a team with won the Oklahoma Golf Association rich golf bloodlines. Seniors Austen Fuller phreys is the son of The Sports Animal golf State Amateur championship in 2009 at age and Alec Heinen and freshman Nick Heinen analyst and broadcaster Craig Humphreys, 17, the youngest ever to win the crown, but are the sons of golf professionals Mark Fuller while freshman Hayden Wood is the son of battled through a bit of a slump during his and Mike Heinen respectively. Caleb Mey- longtime PGA Tour golfer Willie Wood. junior season. ers is the son of former Oak Tree general Not that any of that will matter when “Colton is back to playing really well and manager A.G. Meyers. Freshmen Sam Hum- they tee it up at Cedar Ridge. For Jenks to that helps us a lot,” Wilcoxen said. North is so deep that Wood, a fine player, cannot crack the lineup of Fuller, the Heinen brothers, Meyers and Humphrey. Fuller is a University of Oklahoma signee and the defending OGA Junior Boys Stroke Play champion. He also won the season-ending Tour Championship on the Oklahoma Junior Golf Tour in 2010. The outgoing Alec Heinen, a Wichita State signee who crushes the ball off the tee, won two OJGT events in 2010 while compiling a 70.3 stroke average. Quieter brother Nick won four events in the 12-14 age group, while Wood won six events in the junior Rated 4 stars by Golf Digest, Eagel Crest Golf Course is truly a group. Humphreys spent the summer “playDiamond in the rough. Located conveniently off of I-40. With each ing up” against older competition. cart and green fee purchase get a FREE night in our onsite RV Park. “These freshmen (including Cole Matthews) work harder and have higher goals Call for details: 1-479-632-8857 than any group I’ve had,” said Edmond North coach Jeff Doherty. “It’s killing Cole Check us out at and Hayden not to be in the top five because they want to be four-year state champions. I www.golfeaglecrest.com love it that they are really goal oriented and A member of the Natural State Golf Trail. reaching for the stars.” There is always the chance that neither Edmond North nor Jenks will win. If a third school were to end the 12-year reign of the super powers, it would likely be Edmond Memorial, led by junior and 6A defending individual champion Taylor Moore. “I think Taylor is the best golfer in the state,” Doherty said. 52 •••••• www.golfoklahoma.org