Underclassmen take the stage for Cyclones

By Shane Mettlen

Published: August 19, 2008

When it comes to Eastern View golf, youth is served.

The Cyclones opened their debut season with eight players on the roster, all of them either freshmen or sophomore. With that in mind, EVHS coaches Kevin Baker, who was a member of Culpeper County’s 1989 state championship team, and Craig Dennis are just looking for improvement as the season goes along.

“We have six freshmen and two sophomores,” Baker said. “None of them have ever played before, not a one of them, and they are really green. All of them can hit the ball, for the most part, but they are young and their short game is going to struggle.”

So far this season the Cyclones have been led by Joe Murphy, a freshman who shot a 50 over nine holes against Culpeper and Caroline on Monday, and Stephen Grotz, who finished with a 54.

Despite the youth, the Eastern View coaching was happy to see the group that came out, and are planning on building off this season for the next two years when the Cyclones will have plenty of experience to rely on.

“I was thrilled to see the kids that came out,” Dennis said. “We were thinking we maybe wouldn’t have a team. The kids that came out, if you look at the scores they’ve gotten since about a week in, now they can hold their own out there. They are still real sloppy around the green, but that’s to be expected because they don’t have any experience.”

The players are also buying into the idea of building the program from this point on.

“This year we may not do too much,” Grotz said. “But possibly by our senior year we might be one of the better teams in the district.”

Shane Mettlen can be reached at 825-0771, ext. 127 or

Cyclones Schedule
Date     Opponent     Time
August 11     at Culpeper       9 a.m.
August 13     at King George     4 p.m.
August 18     Caroline, Culpeper     9 a.m.
August 20     at James Monroe     4 p.m. 
August 25     Courtland     4 p.m. 
September 2   Spotsylvania     4 p.m. 
September 15 King George     4 p.m. 
September 17 at Courtland     4 p.m. 
September 22 Chancellor     4 p.m. 
September 24 at Spotsylvania     4 p.m. 
September 29 Battlefield Districts   TBA