The boys’ golf team ended its season with a 7-3-2 record, finishing third in the De Anza League. But that was only the beginning of their success.
Coached by Dave Gragnola, the senior-dominated Falcons scored well enough for the entire six-member traveling team to qualify for League Finals. From there, they also qualified for CCS as a team for the first time in three years.
League Finals were held at the Milpitas Bay View golf course on April 29. Despite strong competitors such as Gunn, Los Altos and Palo Alto, the team managed to secure third place and a spot in CCS, with a score of 409.
Throughout the year, the travel team roster has shifted based on each player’s individual results. The most recent team that traveled to CCS consisted of only seniors: Nick Okada, Aidan Smith, Renn Blanco, Oliver Pott, Joshua Chang and Matthew Chang.
On May 5, the team drove an hour and a half to Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey to play the first round of CCS. There, they faced top-notch teams such as Stevenson, Gunn, Los Altos, Junipero Serra and Saint Francis.
However, their CCS journey ended that day. They failed to qualify for the second round, finishing eighth place out of 11 teams. Star player Smith narrowly missed qualifying as an individual by one stroke, shooting a 2-over-par 73.
After the match, he said, “I’m still happy with my results. I am very proud of how I played this season, and I’m glad I was able to end the year strong. It has been fun with the team, and I’ve really bonded with everyone.”
Although they couldn’t make it past the first round at CCS, the boys’ golf team ended the season on a high note. Looking ahead, the team is excited to build on their successes, but there is a bittersweet feeling as the season closes.
With many of the team’s key players, including the entire travel team roster, graduating, the departure of these seniors will undoubtedly leave a significant gap. Even though the team only has four underclassmen, next season will require new leaders— such as freshman Michael Zhao — to step up, but the foundation laid this year will serve as a strong starting point for the next season.
“The seniors really bring a level of energy that the underclassmen don’t really have,” Zhao said. “Next year, the other underclassmen and I are going to have to bring up that level of energy and the connection the seniors have with Coach Dave since they’ve known him for so long.”