2024 Sauk Valley area boys golf preview capsules

Amboy

Coach: Zach Ross (23rd year)

Top returners: Carson Barlow, sr.; Logan O’Brien, sr..; Mike Akcert, so.

Key varsity newcomers: Chase Montavon, jr.; Westin Wittenauer, so.

Worth noting: Barlow almost reached the sectional individually last season after leading the team with a 91 at the regional. “This is a year that could possibly be full of some surprising expectations if all goes well later in the season,” Ross said.

Bureau Valley

Coach: Jack Gustafson (7th season)

Top returners: Landen Birdsley, sr.; Colin Stabler, sr.; Landon Smith, sr.; Drake Michlig, sr.; Wyatt Novotny, jr.; Atticus Middleton, jr.; Logan Philhower, jr.

Returning state qualifier: Novotny

Worth noting: BV tied for eighth as a team at last year’s sectional. Novotny was 64th at state last year with a 169 (87-82). The Storm return all six golfers from last year’s sectional team.

Dixon

Coach: Lee Eastman (11th season)

Top returners: Ben Oros, sr.; Jayden Toms, jr.; Brody Nicklaus, so.; Max Kitzman, so.

Key varsity newcomers: Deaaron Wilson, sr.; Daniel Fordham, jr.; Kye Dieterle, so.; Jack Ragan, so.; Owen Miller, fr.

Worth noting: Dixon was third at the regional last year and eighth at the sectional meet. Oros had the highest score at the sectional among the returners, shooting an 84. “We only have three seniors out of 16 boys, including eight first-year members on our team this year, so we are very young with little experience,” Eastman said. “We always hope to be competitive in our very talented conference. We also have a few boys that could make it deep into the postseason.”

Eastland

Coach: Jason Hill (20th season)

Top returners: Cooper Dollinger, sr.; Braden Anderson, jr.; Camron Huber, jr.; Harper Keim, jr.; Kayden Knutti, jr.

Key varsity newcomers: Jordan Day, sr.; Brisen Dale, fr.

Worth noting: Eastland was sixth as a team at the regional, as Anderson and Huber advanced to the sectional. Hill said the team’s goals are to finish in the top two in the conference, qualify for the sectional as a team and hopefully send some players to state. “We have to take the next step and be better at course management, not just hitting the ball far,” he said. “Scoring well, even when we are not at our best, will be very important.”

Erie-Prophetstown

Coach: Tom Rickels (10th season)

Top returners: Caden VanHorn, sr.; Blake Geuns, sr.; Zach Murphy; Sawyer Copeland, so.; Dane Ryan, so.

Key newcomer: Gavin VanDyke, fr.

Worth noting: E-P was seventh as a team at the regional as VanHorn advanced to the sectional.

“I feel like we have a good chance of competing this year, more so than in the past couple of years,” Rickels said. “Caden and Blake should provide good senior leadership to the young group of golfers below them. My goal is to finish in the top half of the Three Rivers Conference.”

Forreston

Coach: Matt Hanley (12th season)

Top returners: Kaden Brown, jr.; Kendall Erdmann, jr.; Darin Greenfield, jr.; Daylen Rahn, so.

Key varsity newcomer: Brendan Greenfield, sr.

Worth noting: The Cardinals placed fifth at the regional last year, as Brown (72) advanced to the sectional. He placed third at last year’s NUIC meet. “Our goals are to compete again for a conference title and advance out of regionals as a team,” Hanley said.

Fulton

Coach: Mitch Van Zuiden (4th season)

Top returners: Evan Piercy, sr.; Zach Winkel, sr.; Jacob Voss, jr.; Dawson Price, jr.; Chase Dykstra, jr.; Owen Van Zuiden, so.

Key varsity newcomer: Braeden Brennan, sr.

Returning state qualifiers: Piercy, Price, Van Zuiden, Voss, Winkel

Worth noting: Fulton placed ninth at state as a team last year.

“With five kids that have played in the state tournament last year, expectations are high,” coach Mitch Van Zuiden said. “The kids have played a lot of golf this offseason and are looking to build on last year’s success qualifying for the IHSA state tournament. It hurts when you lose a great senior leader in Brady Read, but the kids are determined to get back to state again this year. The challenge could be making sure they don’t look too far ahead. Nothing is a guarantee, so keeping them present is our main focus this year.”

Newman

Coach: Ryan Decker (1st season)

Top returners: Chase Decker, sr.; Hiram Zigler, sr.; Garet Wolfe, jr.; Liam Nicklaus, so.; Michael Morse, so.

Key varsity newcomer: Jeffrey Thormeyer, so.

Worth noting: Newman placed fourth as a team at the regional as Decker and Nicklaus both advanced to the sectional. “With our younger team we’re looking to improve weekly,” coach Ryan Decker said. “If we do that we will be competitive in the Three Rivers Conference.”

Oregon

Coach: Andy Eckardt (1st season)

Top returners: Brogan Wilkinson, sr.; Jackson Messenger, jr.; Nole Campos, jr.

Key varsity newcomer: Landon Anderson, jr.

Worth noting: Eckardt was an assistant on last year’s team. Oregon took fifth at last year’s regional, as Campos, Messenger and Wilkinson all reached the sectional.

“We have some veterans and some brand new golfers,” Eckardt said. “The returning members put in hours this past summer, and our newcomers are already showing a lot of promise.”

Polo

Coach: Jeff Sands (3rd season)

Top returners: Caleb Sutton, sr.; Aiden Messer, jr.; Jackson Willis, so.; Cooper Dawson, so.; Wyatt Brooks, so.

Worth noting: Sands said the team is raw and Polo’s four additional players are all freshmen. “Having players interested in learning and playing the game is great,” he said. “We are excited to see so many new faces.”

Rock Falls

Coach: Chris Buikema (10th season)

Top returner: Conner Porter, sr.

Key varsity newcomers: Carter Hunter, jr.; Lucas Porter, fr.

Worth noting: Buikema said this is his last year of coaching golf before retiring. Rock Falls graduate Jarred Hippen will take over the position next year. After five starting seniors graduated last season, Buikema said finding players to step up into the Nos. 4 through 6 spots will be key.

Sterling

Coach: Nick Hubbard (10th season)

Top returners: Mason Hubbard, sr.; Bryce Hartman, sr.; Nick Capp, sr.; Grant Hartman, jr.; Eli Penne, jr.

Returning state qualifier: Hubbard

Key varsity newcomer: Maurice De La Cruz, jr.

Worth noting: Hubbard tied for 43rd at state last year with a 162 (81-81). Sterling placed fourth at last year’s regional as Hubbard, Bryce and Grant Hartman advanced to the sectional. “We have a lot of potential this year,” coach Nick Hubbard said. “And we are trying to capitalize on the experience we bring.”

West Carroll

Coach: Joe Meade (8th season)

Top returners: Wilson Bressler, sr.; Thomas Krontz, jr.; Max Knuth, jr.; Parker Whiting, so.

Key varsity newcomers: Lucas Bentley, sr.; Jesse Davies, so.; Devon Lawson, so.

Worth noting: Krontz was the team’s MVP last season. West Carroll was 12th at the regional. “We hope to start climbing out of the bottom of the NUIC standings now that we are more experienced,” Meade said. “We are going to use this year to improve more over the course of the season and look to be a contender in the NUIC in the future. We have a couple of golfers that have the potential to qualify for sectional.”