By Jacob Bugarin
The Benicia Varsity Golf Team had an outstanding season, going 11-1 in the Diablo Athletic League and placing 2nd in the tournament. The varsity consisted of Lawrence Collins, Chris Degaynor, Anthony DeGeorgis, Rowan Kenoyer, Jacob Bugarin, and Joey Padilla. The Benicia Golf Team was very successful after losing five varsity members last year, with the only remainder on the team being Lawrence Collins. All of the players were able to step up to the challenge and managed to win 11 games while playing at challenging golf courses.
Benicia beat schools like Clayton Valley Charter, College Park, Concord, and Mt. Diablo twice in the league. Even though they weren’t able to win, losing to Berean Christian 416-430, they qualified for the North Coast Section division one tournament on May 19th. They play the best teams in the North Coast, such as De La Salle and Campolindo. Some players on varsity were able to win awards this year for the Diablo Athletic League. Here are some of the people who won awards:
2nd team all-league: Chris Degaynor (Freshman), Anthony DeGeorgis (Junior)
1st team all-league: Rowan Kenoyer (Sophomore)
League MVP: Lawrence Collins (Senior)
Season Overview
This season for the Benicia Golf Team was a season to remember, even though the players have expressed their frustrations after not winning the league. Coming into this season, a lot of teams thought Benicia wasn’t going to be the same after losing many seniors on the previous varsity team who were putting out really good scores. Players like Anthony Degeorgis and Rowan Kenoyer were players who didn’t have varsity experience at the time.
Other players like Joey Padilla and Jacob Bugarin did play varsity the year before, but only Joey Padilla was on varsity the previous season, while Chris Degaynor was a freshman who had no experience on the team. The varsity team had a lot of questions going into the season and many thought since losing many seniors, they weren’t going to be as strong as before.
Yet, they still prevailed and were able to only lose one game compared to last year where varsity lost three games. It was a great season for Benicia, but what’s next for the golf team?
What’s next for the team?
Next year, Benicia will only be losing two seniors on Varsity: their number one player (Lawrence Collins), and number five (Jacob Bugarin). The Junior Varsity has promising players who have stepped up to help the Benicia JV team. Players like Tyler Kacalek, a junior who has been shooting one of the best on JV, shooting in the low 40s.
Another golfer who has the potential to be on varsity is Barrett Maun, who has the ability to drive and approach the ball very well, but his short game and putts need some work. Otherwise, the Benicia Golf Team has a very bright future. With many juniors returning and experienced young players, they have a huge chance of winning the Diablo Athletic Valley next year.
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