It was a big year for the Falcon golf team, winning the vast majority of its matches and going on to claim a top-10 finish in the state tournament before all was said and done.

The Falcons started the year off a bit later than normal, not playing their first match until three weeks into the spring semester.

According to Coach Matt Johnson, this was done for a number of reasons. First, it allowed him to finish the boys basketball post season and commit fully to golf afterwards and, secondly, it allowed the Falcons to get in the majority of their matches towards the end of the season.

Golf matches are usually more spread out across the season than other sports and teams frequently take part in fewer matches in the weeks leading up to state.

Instead, Johnson decided at the beginning of the season that pushing the schedule a bit later than normal would make sure the Falcons were playing frequent matches throughout their run.

When the Falcons finally hit the course, they came out swinging, taking first in their opening match hosted out of Eagle Mountain.

That was a position the team would become quite familiar with, going on to put together a 49-17 run throughout the season and taking top honors at most of their matches.

In order to take part in the state tournament, a team must earn five qualifying scores throughout the entire season. The Falcons pulled off that feat in its first five matches, going on to claim ninth place at state to wrap up the season.

Johnson said the Falcons brought home several additional honors this season, too, including a third place finish at the big Metro Invitational, another third place finish at the Wrangler Invitational, and a pair of low scores at the state tournament for individual play. Ty Yoder took 15th overall while Griffin Peters came in 20th.

While the team had little trouble qualifying for the state tournament, individuals could also end matches with qualifying scores, just in case the entire team doesn’t make it. Johnson said he was proud of the fact that all seven of the Falcons managed to score at least one state qualifying score with three players managing the full five.

According to Johnson, the local golf squad managed to have a fantastic early year, but had some trouble keeping up the intensity.

“We started out really quick, but we really struggled to maintain that early momentum,” Johnson said.

“The five-for-five start was awesome, and it really gave us a lot of respect from the other teams in the state. I would have liked to see us play better at tournaments, but all around it was a solid season.”

When asked to pick a highlight from the season, Johnson had little trouble picking out a favorite match.

“I am always a fan of senior night,” he said.

“To see the focus on their last match and the support from their families is great.”

Speaking of which, the Falcons will be losing three seniors this season in Ty Yoder, Kace Collins and Rylie Lodes, all of whom Johnson said kept the team competitive in practice and demanded a higher level of excellence.

The remaining four athletes should be returning next year, which Johnson should help keep the Falcons hovering around the top of the rankings for years to come.

As for this season, he said he was happy with the results.

“They never backed down no matter how tough the competition, and they always came to play,” Johnson said.

“Forty-nine wins doesn’t come by accident. This team competed at a high level and they should be proud of their accomplishments.”