Coaches Corner for April 7th: Randy Johnson, Ogden Golf

With us on Coach's Corner here in KWBEG, get a chance to talk some Ogden Golf as the Bulldogs had an opportunity last night at Don Williams to host Des Moines Christian and also Woodburg Granger.

Randy, I know April Golf is not ever the most fun in Iowa, but we're kind of used to it. We don't have a bunch of transplants that have just moved in that don't know what it's like to golf out here, Randy. So what did you see from both squads last night?

Well, I think we come out prepared. I think some of the scores are right where they normally practice. They've been playing in the last couple of weeks. Des Moines Christian come in. They're a good team. They're a good 3A school team and they showed well.

They got pretty much the same six kids back this year. So that's fortunate for them. And we had Woodburg Granger come in and they are very comparable to us. They've got a lot of talent that moves through their school and we matched up with them.

And I think that we will both improve throughout the season. I think we meet up with them two or three more times throughout the season. So it's kind of a a good measuring tool for us to see who's advancing and who's getting better as the season goes along.

Well, I know on the boys side of things, we'll start with them first and we'll talk about the girls. Boys side of things, as you talked about, Des Moines Christian has been strong for I can't even say the last couple of years.

It feels like it's been five to 10 years or so that you know when DMC is on the card and you know you're going to play against them. That's going to be a really solid boys team. You guys shot up 168.

Tell me about the boys a little bit because it feels like to me just from you visiting off air with me that we've got some, well, we're going to have some improvement. We know that for number one, but you think we're going to have some pretty quick improvement. I do.

Uh, Chase Coleman was, uh, one stroke off of medalist. We had two boys tie at 37, one from each school and Jay shot a 38 or otherwise he'd have been right there in the playoffs. So, uh, he thought for sure he would probably get a medal of 38 and it just didn't happen.

And, uh, there was a couple other scores there that I thought would be lower. Um, I think it'll be a good stepping stone for tonight going into the meet. Uh, we play rolling story coming in. Uh, there are always a good matchup for us.

Um, and we meet up with them several times throughout the season also. So good program. Uh, I think we're going to be able to, uh, hang right with them tonight. Uh, we kind of adapted last night to the coldness and, uh, the conditions and keep moving.

And this will be an all boys advance. So it should go fairly smooth. We'll get them good and spread out and let them go. And, and, uh, we'll just see where it falls. Well, and you got a bunch of kids too.

I know that we like to keep kids within a couple of strokes if we can of each other. And boy, I'll tell you what, Randy, I saw, you know, about four, maybe five kids, you could probably throw in there that were real close to each other.

Uh, stroke-wise is that's what's giving you kind of the confidence that this is going to drop pretty quick for the team. Yes. I've got, uh, probably four or five boys in there that any one of them could take the number one, two or three spot.

So that's what makes it fun is having that outside help and having six boys contribute to that score instead of four. And depending on those four, and if one of those four go down, well, then you're struggling and they need to take that higher score.

But the next couple of needs, I mean, rolling story. And then we play at Boone here and come Thursday. Uh, I think our scores will be better the next two needs than they were last night, but, uh, we'll just see where it goes here.

Um, you know, just time to tighten that belt up one more notch and, uh, get after it here. So that's what I'm looking for. We're going to play all the JV tonight too.

And there's a, there's a boy, uh, three boys there about the seven, eight, nine spot that, uh, they could touch varsity here real soon too. So we'll just see, uh, where it goes. Girl's side of things as well.

Woodward Granger, Des Moines Christian, uh, here and, uh, look like, uh, again, we would like to see, like, see the girls get a little bit closer when you get a little bit of a group.

And boy, if you get a group of them that all of a sudden within a couple of strokes, uh, then you're really cooking. Coach, tell me about the girls from last night. Our girls are, um, returning girls is, uh, Olivia there.

She shot led the way with a 48 and then he had, uh, Maddie and, uh, Cruz come in there at 55 and 57 for Longhorn. Uh, that's kind of the basis of it. Then we've got two young gals coming in first timers that, uh, they're all in. We're trying to ease them into it.

Um, and then I've got two more freshmen girls that, uh, on the team that we're going to flip flop spots and they had a meet coming up tonight and it got canceled. And I'm going to try to reschedule it for Thursday. So that's the plan there for the girls.

And, uh, there'll be a good, uh, good stepping stone for the young girls. See how they, well, they took up on a game. I told them last night, I said, take that scorecard and put it on the refrigerator.

And, uh, we'll look at it again here in three weeks and we'll just see if we're making any improvement. We got to kick out of that. Well, I was going to say, Ray, it almost feels like, uh, we could almost even look at a couple of weeks.

You get, you get a couple of meats in there and you know, we're going to pop one of those afternoons where you look at everybody and you go, now this is an afternoon for golf and that's where those scores just start to drop. Don't they? Yeah, that's right. You're right.

Um, everybody can look back on your, on your round that you played and your downfalls and that's what you need to work on. And if you're weak as part of your games, you're, you're chipping or you're putting, well, you don't need to spend all your time with the driver.

You need to get out there and work in those areas. And, uh, and that's what we're going to do. Um, and the, and the playing before the, like we talked about the playing before the meets the day or two before crucial. So that's things we need to look at.

Well, and it's one of those things too, Randy, with having such an accessible course like Don Williams is for, for you guys, get out there. You don't have to go play 18.

I'm not expecting you to go play 27, but get out there and a couple of holes, a couple of balls and, you know, put in an hour, an hour and a half worth of work and go back home. Yep.

Call it a day and then, uh, continue on with what you were doing and, and feel good about yourself coming in tomorrow's golf meet. That's right. Absolutely great. Randy is always, thank you so much for some time.

Best of luck, uh, for the rest of the week and we'll look forward to talking to you in a couple. All right. Thanks, Ryan. You bet. Randy Johnson and joining us, auditing golf here in coaches corner.