Waterford’s Brock Hurley chips onto a green during a high school golf match earlier this season at Lakeside Golf Course. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

WATERFORD — The dreams of the Waterford golf program might’ve been dashed harshly the last two years, but the Wildcats are ready to give it their all when the Division III state tournament is contested Monday and Tuesday.

The Wildcats are having a send off to the NorthStar Golf Club at 8 a.m. Sunday with the team set to depart from the school 30 minutes later en route to playing their practice round and getting accommodations at an Airbnb.

“It’s pretty exciting. I definitely can not wait,” admitted senior fifth man Briceson Cline.

“My junior year we definitely should’ve went, I feel like.

“It was kind of depressing that we didn’t. I’ve been very excited. It’s going to be a long two days, I think definitely, trying to compete.”

Waterford’s Briceson Cline takes a moment between swings during a high school golf match earlier this season at Lakeside Golf Course. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Waterford No. 4 man Braun Doak, head coach Tyson Powers’ only other senior, is hoping to do his part for the ‘Cats, who last made it to the big show in 2015.

“It was a shaky one,” Doak admitted of his 84 in Portsmouth at Elks Country Club during district play. “Going into it I was pretty amped up. I mean last time I ever get to play that course. Potentially last time I put on my Waterford polo. I was nervous. I started off with a few too many bogeys.

“Putts weren’t dropping. My coaches got me under control. I had a few good holes and back nine I somewhat cleaned it up, but probably about hole 13, 14 I looked at the score and coach says ‘you’re fine, we’re going to get it’ so it was a pretty big swing in the scoring. A lot of stress and nerves went away and luckily I get to play next week.”

Junior Reese Lang, who was tabbed District Player of the Year, fired a 1-over par 73 to earn medalist honors.

“We were off to a shaky start, but we got it done,” Lang said. “We had a good back nine. All of us did. That was great. Just looking at the other scores, a lot of teams are shooting in the 3-teens.

“It’s going to be pretty competitive. It’s going to be fun. A couple teams have been there. This is our first time for us guys so it’s going to be new for us. Won’t have to feel a ton of pressure. It’s just kind of go have fun.”

A dozen individuals and 12 teams will be in the field and Lang is the only Wildcat with experience on the course.

“It’s not too gimmicky,” Lang added. “It’s right out in front of you, most of the holes, but there’s just not a lot of trouble. It’s just not a lot of drivers. There’s a lot of holes where you are kind of just hitting something like 250 out there. It will get narrower the farther up the fairway you hit. It’s not too hard. It’s big greens. A lot of bunkers and stuff, but if you can just hit the fairway, I think you are in good shape there.

“It’s not too difficult. It’s decently long, but not too bad. The course was soft. I played there late July in a two-day tournament. I wasn’t getting any roll out in the fairway. The rough was longer and it was wet so it was hard to get out of there. I’d say it will be close to the same. I don’t know if it will be as soft, but the greens are quick. They roll great so I don’t think it will be too hard of an adjustment to figure those out.”

Junior three-man Luke Hvizdzak, who earned medalist honors in helping the ‘Cats capture their fourth consecutive Tri-Valley Conference championship, said he’s “kind of just getting ready, trying to learn the course without playing it and trying to get a gameplan going into it. Just try to stay focused on the goal. The sophomore year was a heartbreak. That really stung.

Waterford’s Luke Hvizdzak chips onto a green during a high school golf match earlier this season at Lakeside Golf Course. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We’re just really happy to get there this year and hopefully next year, too. Fairways and greens and two putts. Not try to go for crazy pins or anything and just hit it in the middle of the green. This year is going to be a big one. Obviously we want our seniors to end on a good year and hopefully do pretty good at state.”

Coach Powers, who gave many heartfelt thanks to the Wildcat faithful for their support and contribution in getting the team their outdoor synthetic green, is in his seventh year leading the program.

“It just took a couple years to come out on top,” the coach said of finally getting over the hump. “This community always supports athletics. Anybody that’s been around to see girls basketball make their run to state have seen the community support. We have coach (Jerry) Close’s grandson on the team as our freshman this year.

“We do have a nice connection there. I coach in that system also so I’ve tried to bring that team aspect to it. I’ve seen what Jerry’s been able to do for the girls and I really feel like with the boys we have and the athletes at Waterford, I think we can sort of do the same thing here with golf.”

The freshman No. 2 man is Brock Hurley, who vividly recalled his 6-over par 78 at district.

Waterford's Reese Lang gets ready to tee off during a high school golf match earlier this season at Lakeside Golf Course. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“I had the pressure on me for my first ever district,” Hurley said. “I started out bogey, bogey, bogey and then I kind of found my rhythm and chipped in on five for birdie and brought it back down to two over. Back nine I had it good and then missed a 3-footer on 17, but I got a good up-and-down on 18 for par.”

Hurley added “I went up and watched them last year when I was in eighth grade and it was a hard watch” while stressing “all the drills and all the hard work on the putting green, the one we built, and that’s what’s getting us there.

“I got really lucky with the team I came up on. Braun is going to be a big loss for our team and Briceson will be, too. Our freshman team won the Wood County championship last year as eighth graders.”

The freshman has been picking the brain of Lang as well as Fort Frye’s Chatum Courson and ex-Cadet Kelson McCurdy, who competes at Marietta College, to learn what he can about NorthStar Golf Club.

“He (Lang) talks to us a lot about it and then my friend Chatum, we’ve talked about it a lot,” Hurley said. “What to do on certain holes and then hit to your number and whatever you’re comfortable with, stick to it.

“Kelson McCurdy, I talked to him a little bit. Don’t change anything. Just play my golf. We made it to state. Not much we can lose after that.”

The Wildcats are slated to begin their practice round at noon.

“Reese has always been the team leader as far as the competitive side of it. He’s super, super competitive,” added coach Powers. “He’s always been the leader on the golf course. As far as off the course, these kids get along really, really well.

“Braun Doak is sort of our leader outside of the course. He’s been part of this program for four years. He’s been the one making sure everybody is where they are supposed to be. He’s been a great leader in that aspect.”

Coach Powers added of his team “they’ve really taken a liking to Brock. We play a lot over the summer. They’ve known Brock since junior high and they sort of knew what was coming.

“They’ve sort of taken him under their wing and let him stay back in the shadows, mature and go from there.”

Doak is hoping to do his part and is glad to have a teammate like Lang.

“Reese is a great help,” Doak said. “He’s really good at golf. If he turns it on it will be a fun two days up there if we all can string together a couple rounds, just have a blast and enjoy our time together. Briceson and I especially since it being our last go-around.

“I mean we’re just talking about how we’re just excited to put on the polo again and play some golf for the last time. As a freshman I never would’ve thought that my last match ever is at the state tournament. It’s pretty special to me. My mom and my dad, they love it. They’ve loved every match. It’s pretty special for all of my family and Briceson and I love it.”

Especially considering Lang is the only player to have seen the state tournament course, Sunday’s practice round is crucial.

“I think it’s going to be very important trying to learn the course as much as you can with one round and trying to do everything you can do to prepare,” Hvizdzak said.

“Just trying on the holes where you can’t really see the fairway or anything, just really try to learn what to hit over or where to hit at, on like the blind holes.”

Cline also gave his thoughts on being a four-year starter like Doak and trying to go out in style.

“I think that Reese, he’s just been good all three years really,” expressed Cline. “I think he’ll do good up there. He’s been studying the course pretty hard. Brock will definitely compete and definitely Luke and Braun, and then you got me the five man just to clean up whatever goes bad. Like I’m nervous before and then whenever I get to golfing it just all goes away I guess. It’s quite the journey. I definitely think we have a chance.

“We got a chance to win it if we all show up ready to play. I’ve looked at the course on a few apps and studied it a little bit and my coach got us some yardage books which has helped out a lot. I don’t think it’s too long. It’ll definitely be a lot of 3-woods and stuff. Not too many drivers out there. It’s a good way to end the season. Definitely been a great four years.”

Although Lang realizes he has another season left, time is of the essence and the opportunity is at hand.

“It’s great,” he said. “Really fun and I’m just going to go try and enjoy it.

“Not get upset and go have a lot of fun, hang out with the guys for the last time this year and just enjoy it for three days.”

Obviously, the most enjoyable thing would be to bring a state championship back home.

“Go up there, post a couple days of good scores and post a couple days of just good, solid golf,” coach Powers said of the keys. “I mean we got the kids that can do it.

“They’ve played in tons of tournaments over the summer, spent a lot of time on the course and don’t get overly rattled so I think we’ve got a chance to go up there and compete. We’ve got as good a shot as anybody.”

A shot is all Doak ever wanted and although it didn’t come easy, he’s hoping they can set the bar for future Waterford teams.

“It was tough. Sophomore year it was a bullet I really didn’t want to swallow,” Doak recalled. “It bugged me for a while. Even into basketball season when I played it just sat with me wrong and I always thought what I could’ve done better for the team to win. Then we get to junior year and we have a good regular season and we get to postseason and get second at sectionals and come into districts and we’re all like we’re finally going to do it and then it comes down to one stroke.

“It was an even bigger bullet that year. It felt like my world collapsed. I’d been working all summer, all fall just for one thing and we lose by a stroke. I really didn’t swallow it, really, until we made it out this last year. It’s just been something coach Tyson, coach Frank (Collier), all of our guys were just like ‘man, one time, just one time’ so hopefully since we got over the hump this year they can get over it many years to come after I’m gone and it’s just a reoccurring thing that we started.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com