The boys golf team hopes to regain their winning momentum after starting off the season with losses to Saratoga High School and Cupertino High School by scores of 198-193 and 209-196, respectively.

The team is currently behind after suffering two losses out of three games this season, however they showed promise in their match against Gunn High School, beating them 196-211. The boys golf team hopes it’s recent win will be the start to an upward trend after kicking off the season with two losses to Saratoga High School and Cupertino High School.

According to coach Doyle Knight, the team’s sluggish start is not entirely unexpected.

“This year is more of a rebuilding year for (the team),” Knight said.

In spite of losing valuable seniors from last season, including alumni Sergi Matta and Ahmed Ali, who are now playing Division I golf at UCLA and UCSD respectively, players on the boys golf team vow to assume the leadership necessary to make it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships this season. The graduates left the team feeling a lack of the comradery between teammates that was prevalent in years past.

Sophomore Austin Harrison sees the beginning of the season as a valuable transition period for the team.

“I do not know everyone as well as I would like to yet, but it is a good group of guys and we are all friends,” Harrison said.

Junior Anthony Ha has been playing Paly golf for two years, and has proven himself to be an asset to the team.

“The biggest blow to our team was losing two top players from last year and it has been really hard to play without them. I still feel like the team has a lot of room to improve, and I attribute the two losses to my poor play. Our new players need to get used to playing matches and not feeling pressured.”

Junior Anthony Ha

However, according to Knight, new additions to the team make him optimistic for the upcoming season.

“We had a lot more kids trying out this season, we received a good group of remarkable players coming in with a lot of potential.”

Coach Doyle Knight

For the past seven seasons, the golf team has won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL). This year, however, the competition in the league is extremely tough, leading to a more challenging journey to the CCS championships.

Ha and Knight are confident that if all team members make an effort to better themselves and their relationships within the team, they will be able to recover from their slow start and advance to CCS.

“We are losing right now, which may not always be the best feeling, but it is encouraging because I know for a fact that we have the capability to get back on our game and take it all the way to CCS,” Knight said. “I know that the newer players will step up and benefit the team. We can definitely do this.”