All area boys golf: White led KR to 15-0 season

The Kenton Trail-champ Cougars had six golfers average under 41 strokes.

Barbara J. Perenic/Staff photo by Barbara J. Perenic Kenton Ridge golf coach Chris White

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By David Jablonski, Staff Writer Updated 7:31 AM Tuesday, November 24, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Chris White gives his golfers three holes. Only then will he counsel them.

“I go sit on the fourth tee,” the Kenton Ridge boys golf coach said. “When they get to the fourth tee, I ask them how they’re doing. You can always tell whether it’s good or bad.”

Dealing with the emotions of golfers, teaching them to put the last bad shot behind them, is a major part of coaching golf, and White’s success with the Cougars is evidence that he does it as well as anyone.

Kenton Ridge finished 15-0 overall and 10-0 in the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division this season, and for the first time, the fourth-year coach is the 2009 News-Sun All-Area Boys Golf Coach of the Year.

“The whole season was just a pleasant surprise,” White said.

The Cougars repeated as Kenton Trail champions. They also won the Clark County meet, the Ross Hogue Invitational, the Benjamin Logan Invitational and the sectional title for the second straight year.

Its success was somewhat surprising because Kenton Ridge was just as good in 2008. It lost three seniors who shot under 40: News-Sun All-Area Golfer of the Year Chris Reed, Jeff Nickels and Randon McNeil.

This year, the Cougars had six golfers average under 41: Clay Portz (38.3); Zach Zink (39.2); Tony Delledonne (40.0); Luke Schlicher (40.2); Chris Via (40.3); and Hunter Clark (40.5).

The Cougars showed their mettle by beating a good Tecumseh team by five strokes in September.

“We knew what was at stake there,” White said. “We knew they were good from top to bottom. We were able to get it done when we needed to.”

The team’s most improved players were Portz and Schlicher. Portz improved by almost 10 strokes.

“It’s just unbelievable to watch these kids get that much better in one summer,” White said. “They said they played all the time, but I took that with a grain of salt. ... And my three seniors, I got great leadership from them.”

2009 News-Sun All-Area Boys Golf Team

FIRST TEAM

Kyle Furlong, Tecumseh, Senior, 36.3 average

Clark Engle, Shawnee, Freshman, 36.7

Dylan Anderson, Greenon, Junior, 38.2

Scott Rogers, Tecumseh, Junior, 38.2

Clay Portz, Kenton Ridge, Sophomore, 38.3

Cameron Thomas, Northeastern, Senior, 38.8

Second team

Jordan Reese, Cedarville, Freshman, 38.7

Ben Rutan, West Liberty-Salem, Junior, 39.0

Derek Cobb, Urbana, Junior, 39.2