Dukes played earlier this week for berth in state finals meet.
By Mike Miazga
Correspondent
In many sports, the numbers don’t lie.
In the case of the York boys golf team that certainly has rang true this season.
The Dukes recently finished second at the Class 3A Elk Grove regional and advanced as a team to the sectional round of the state series. York played earlier this week in the Class 3A New Trier sectional at Winnetka Golf Club for a chance to earn a spot in the state finals meet this weekend at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
York shot a 306 to take second at Elk Grove, four shots off team champion Fenwick. Sophomore Josh LaBounty led the way with a 71. Senior Jake Brown shot 72, while sophomore Matt Buckley shot an 81 and junior Aidan Mann and freshman Sam Bartolone each had 82s.
That 306 came on the heels of York shooting a 304 at the recent West Suburban Conference Silver Division meet. York also shot sub 310 18-hole rounds at Hinsdale Central (306), Limestone (309), Fenton (306) and Dundee-Crown (302, 1st place). York also turned in a 9-2 dual-meet record this season.
“We have a lot of young talent on the team,” said LaBounty, who was tied with Mann at 38.786 for the team lead in nine-hole average heading into the sectional. “We all worked hard over the summer and we all know what we still have to work on. We’re very encouraging to each other and we push each other.”
LaBounty said York’s deep talent roster makes things easier on match days. “We all know we can shoot par or better,” he said. “We give each other a hard time about that because we all know we always can do better.”
Brown is impressed with the team’s cache of young talent. “Josh, Matt and Aidan all are very good,” he said. “They have a big drive to be good and all three want to play in college. All the younger guys want to get better and they are out there putting in a lot of practice. All of us are and that’s why we’ve been so successful. We all want to be better than each other. We have a drive to compete against each other and that makes each of us better.”
LaBounty said the regional performance was another confidence booster in a season full of them. “It was a really good feeling,” he said. “It was a big confidence boost and it’s something we’ve all worked for. We all knew we could get there if we pushed each other.”
But Brown said there is more than just golf to focus on with this year’s York squad. “We have a lot of fun together,” he said. “We don’t take things too seriously but we do take it seriously when we are on the course. There are a lot of fun guys here.”
LaBounty added the friendships will be the main thing he will cherish when he leaves the program after his senior year.
“I like the friendships I’ve made on the team,” he said. “I probably will be with most of these guys a long time after high school and through college and that’s because of the friendships we’ve made on this team.”
Brown has seen the program continue to reach new heights in his four years at York.
“I didn’t start playing golf seriously until I was a freshman,” he said. “Each year has been a step up from the last for us.”
And the Dukes are hopeful that next step results in another trip to the state finals meet this weekend.
