By Stephen Hall
For the Islander
The Avalon Boys Golf Team has begun their 2023 season and the Lancers have shown potential for success. They opened up their season at home on Thursday, March 9 against Anaheim Discovery, one of the best high school golf teams in Southern California. The Lancers came up short but posted a good team score for their first match. The final score was Anaheim 170, Avalon 195.
Six golfers play in the match and we count the 5 best scores. 195 is not a bad score but this team has the potential to score in the 170’s at home and has set that as a future goal. Junior Rigo Pedroza Jr. our captain and leader, had a 35 in our opening match, while Junior Cole Konigsmark and Sophomore Jose Pedroza posted 39s, and Juniors Damien Pedroza and Francisco Bravo both finished with scores of 45, giving us a team score of 195.
The Catalina Island Golf Course, especially the greens, is in fine condition, thanks to the expertise of Mac The Greenskeeper and Mother Nature, with the torrential rains that have blessed us this Winter. The Catalina Island Golf Course, owned by Mike and run by his father Mac, provides our team with free golf during the season, giving our local kids the opportunity to learn the great game of golf. We hope to develop our young players into accomplished golfers and the Catalina Island Golf Course is on our team.
We certainly appreciate the generosity and promise to show our gratitude by learning to play the game correctly, following all the rules and displaying the proper etiquette. Golf is a gentleman and a ladies game and we want to preserve the game as it was intended to be played, with the proper sportsmanship, etiquette and competitiveness.
In our second match of the season the Lancers traveled to the mainland to compete against Webb High School in our first league match. Unfortunately, the Lancers came up short in what began as a tight match. However, in the closing holes the Lancers ran into trouble and the home team Webb prevailed by a score of 209 to 225. The Lancers hope to make up the 16-stroke difference when Webb comes to the Island.
In their third match of the season the Lancers finally prevailed at home against a much weaker opponent Notre Dame High School out of Corona 191 to 255. Damien Pedroza was our best golfer on this day shooting a nice 34. Rigo Pedroza Jr. posted a 36, Jose Pedroza had a 38, and David Talsky rounded out the team score with a 44, giving us a 191, team score.
The Lancers hope to improve and qualify for the C.I.F. playoffs that take place in May. They will continue to practice hard and appreciate all of the support that has come their way, especially from the Paul Moritz family who recently donated to our program. Paul Moritz was an avid golfer and a great man with a funny sense of humor. We hope that his kind spirit and generosity are traits that our players pick up and spread out into the world.
