From Charlottesville to Hanover, and from Goochland to Lake Monticello, the Fluco golf team can be found taking their talents to the greens. The team may be young and inconsistent, but they still have managed to beat Monticello, Waynesboro, and Powhatan so far this season. Head Coach Bryan Searcy has been coaching the Fluco golf team for seven years now, and has transformed newcomers that have never picked up a golf club before to players that shoot a consistent 45 on 9 holes.

“My famous saying in practice and matches is ‘play bogey golf’,” Searcy said. “Sure, birdies and pars are great, but we are not at that level yet. Bogeys are good for us,” he said.

After losing four seniors– all of them top scorers, this year’s team has four outstanding returners: Tyler Marshall, Brennan Baber, Jack Stanke, and Charlie Searcy. There are also some new players who have stepped up and scored when the Flucos needed it most. One of those players is Joe Pace, who recently moved to Fluvanna from Illinois and has made a huge impact on the golf team though only a freshman. In the first tournament, Pace shot a 102, landing in third place overall for the Flucos. Pace does not have much height to work with, but he can hit the ball straight consistently, and that is what a coach really wants to see.

The most consistent golfer on the team is junior Jack Stanke. Stanke has definitely put the most time in on the course, and it’s paying off for him. In all four matches that the Flucos have had this season, Stanke has ranked first overall among the Flucos. “I think I’ve played alright, but I haven’t played up to my ceiling. Hopefully, I can accomplish that by the end of the season,” said Stanke. Close behind Stanke in scoring is Tyler Marshall, who has been with the program since his sophomore year.  

Although the Fluco golf team is relatively young and somewhat inexperienced at this point in the season, Coach Searcy is not concerned. There is still a lot of time for corrections.

“Last year the whole Fluco golf team went to regionals as a team in the top six, and I like our chances again this year,” he said. However, he noted, “some of the younger guys are definitely going to have to step up soon and score big.”

With the heat of the mid-schedule approaching, the Fluco golf team appears to be holding on to its share of confidence. Since the Flucos have changed conferences, they are going to face some more experienced, better teams out there such as Western and Charlottesville. With the top six the Flucos have right now, they appear to be in good shape. But do they have what it takes to make it to regionals? Only time will tell.