Playoff Bound?

Over the past couple of years the Golden Valley boy’s golf program has had minimal success.  In 2014 they had their best year ever.  Sophomore Jonathan Kang won the league MVP and player of the year.  Jonathan was also the first individual in school history to make the CIF individual playoffs.  Jonathan advanced farther than every other Foothill League qualifier falling 6 strokes short of making the State Championship.  Kang led the team to a second place finish in the 4^th league match of the year at Valencia Country Club defeating West Ranch and Valencia for the first time in program history.   The Boys Golf program missed the CIF playoffs by three strokes.   This year their chances to make it to playoffs seem to be a lot better since they have their top three players  returning.  Those returners consist of Jonathan Kang, Ray Asuncion, and Kameron Hobbs.  These three golfers will be counted on to lead a very young team to heights never before achieved.

            Being a first year player in a program and being asked to contribute is difficult for anyone.  For Sophomore Ray Asuncion his freshman year was just that. “I played to the best of my ability but I know I need to improve my iron game” Being part of a team to barely miss out on the playoffs has sat with Ray the entire off season.  “I was devastated that we missed by such a small amount motivates me to work harder for this season.” 

            Winning a championship for any individual or team is a difficult thing however people in the sports world say that defending that championship is the toughest.  Junior Jonathan Kang is hoping to do just that as he heads into this season as the defending league MVP.  After asking him how last season was for him he explained to me how he was proud of him and his team for making it so far but personally devastated that they didn’t make it playoffs. He says that he personally needs to work and improve. Jonathan states that team chemistry is at an all-time high forming a bond between him and his teammates.

After having the best finish in program history Head Coach Tony Moskal feels this may be the year 

the Grizzlies break through.  “We have our top three returning golfers in Kang, Asunscion and Hobbs

 so I think they’re ready to go out and compete.”  With a solid nucleus of three players the team is in 

good shape.  Needing to find three more is a task Moskal thinks they’ve accomplished.  “Senior Brian

 Bedell quit baseball to come out for the golf team and he’s going to play our #4 spot.  He’s got a 

solid game and he is going to contribute.”  The other two spots are up for grabs as Moskal says, “I’ve

 got three other guys for two spots.” In the always tough Foothill League the Grizzlies are getting 

ready to compete and improve on their finish from last year.  They’re off to a pretty good start this 

season with four qualifying scores and a school record score of 183 on nine holes at the Encino Golf

 Course.  “It was a day where everything came together,” Moskal said of the record score.  “We’ve 

never had one player shoot under par in any round and for us to have three shoot under par shows that

 this group has the ability to put up some low scores,” continued Moskal.  With a solid group of 

returners and some JV players ready to step into varsity sport the future looks bright the 2015 

Grizzlies.

Junior Kameron Hobbs warms up before a match.

Sophomore Ray Asuncion hits his approach shot.

Defending League MVP Jon Kang with his hardware.