Riverside Poly Tries It Again

Coach Michael Sage and his Riverside Poly High team can still taste the disappointment from last year, but they still have this season to make up for it. And next.

The Bears shot a team score of four-over-par 364 last year in the Southern Section Eastern Divisional tournament. They finished third behind Palm Desert and La Quinta and did not advance to the section finals. The Bears lost two seniors from that team--Will Park is at UC Irvine and Darrell McCoy is at the Air Force Academy--but still have plenty of talent.

Juniors Josh Wooding, Phil Telliard and Ian Hjulberg all qualified for the section individual finals last season and Wooding, the 2001 Ivy League individual champion, tied for seventh. Senior Clay Nicodemus also returns and all four were members of a team that won the 2000 Eastern Divisional, finished fourth that year in the section team championships and was third in the season-ending CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. Championship.

“Last year was disappointing after what we did in 2000,” Sage said. “Especially since we played so well in the divisional.”

Had the Bears shot 364 at any of the other five divisional tournaments, they would have won. That score was three shots better than the 367 they shot in the 2000 divisional.

But playing at Cimarron Golf Resort in Cathedral City put Poly at a disadvantage because La Quinta played several home matches at that course.

“La Quinta shot 18 strokes better that day than they had all year,” Sage said.

The Bears (6-0) appear too strong for that to happen again. They are averaging just over 386 with sophomore Jason Fair making a contribution. He was the medalist after shooting one-under 35 at Quail Ranch Golf Club last week. Riverside Poly has won seven consecutive Ivy League titles and eight of the last nine. They should be unchallenged in league.

“We’re young,” Sage said. “But if Jason can stay consistent and we can find a solid sixth, we should be right there at the end.”

Telliard, the 2000 league individual champion, has sat out several matches with bronchitis and likely will have his tonsils removed, but he should return at full strength in plenty of time for the playoffs, Sage said.

The Riverside Poly Classic Tournament of Champions will not be contested for the first time in 35 years because Sage could not work out suitable dates with the Victoria Club, site of the tournament. The club is aerating its greens and will not allow play in early April, when the tournament is traditionally played.

Brea Olinda, which missed the section finals last season by one stroke, figured to have a strong team with five starters returning, but depth has been a problem, Coach Ken Lutz said.

Juniors Chris Heintz and Chris Moores and senior Ryan Wright lead the Wildcats and junior Ryan Frank is also back, but junior Nick Wilson is probably out for the season because of academic ineligibility.

“We need two players to develop over the season,” Lutz said. “Right now our top four guys have to carry us and that’s a lot of pressure at the top. If one of them has a bad day, the team has a bad day.”

One of those days came last week in a match with Esperanza.

Brea Olinda lost, 388-408.