Monticello golf team looks to pick up where it left off

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The Monticello High School golf team opened the 2023 season with a trip to Moab on Tuesday, March 21 for a wet, windy, and cold match versus Region 23 opponent Green River.
Buckaroo Head Coach Nathan Chamberlain reports that the team played well despite not having any live practice yet this season. In fact, for seven of MHS’s 18 players it was the first competitive round of 18 holes in their lives.
Darrin Wescott shot the low round of the tournament with a 91, while Amy Lewis and Cambree Chamberlain tied for the girls low score with 112.
The girls team is coming off their best season ever. They finished second in the state last season and look to build on that in 2023.
The boys were very impressive last season also, finishing fourth in the state. But they lost four seniors to graduation while the girls lost none.
Snow has been welcome in San Juan County this season, but it has wreaked havoc on spring sports teams looking to get on the field or course before the start of the season.
Coach Chamberlain recently fielded several questions via email regarding the start of the season and his team’s outlook on the year:
Rhett Sifford: Obviously the snow is affecting your start, but can you tell me a little bit about your process these last few weeks getting the team ready to begin the season?
Coach Chamberlain: Yeah, the snow is a bit of a factor. We purchased a golf simulator and with the help and encouragement of a few employees at the school we have the “dungeon” (the old boiler room) set up to practice hitting golf balls into nets.
We have been giving the kids as much practice as we can under the current snow conditions. It’s tough to get real golf experiences without actually walking on the course. We are hopeful that this type of practice will help us. I don’t see us practicing at our home course until mid to late April.
Sifford: Tell me about your team this season.
Chamberlain: The boys team has changed drastically with only three of the 11 members returning for this season: Darrin Wescott (junior), Donovan Atwood (senior), and Carter Harrod (sophomore). We have two freshmen joining the ranks: Kooper Nielson and Jackson Keyes. We are looking for their energy to inspire the other golfers.
We have four first-year seniors: Easton Young, Landon Ewart, Shane Lewis, and Tug Davis. They’re trying to see how golf is played at the high school level. Curtis Bunker is trying golf out as a junior and hopefully will stick it out for next year as well. We are excited for them to get to play as a team.
There are two seniors on the girls team: Jade Nielson and Amy Lewis. Gabi Dowell is the only junior and the rest of the team is made up of sophomores: Alise Lewis, Alii Young, Cambree Chamberlain, and Lilli Burton who is the only newcomer to our team. The girls have been dedicated and have been coming to the dungeon for practice since the beginning of the year.
Sifford: Who do you expect to step into leadership roles?
Chamberlain: For the boys we are looking to Darrin and his willingness to bridge the gap between the first-year seniors and the freshmen. This year will allow us the opportunity to see what the future of the boys team will become. On the girls side, Jade and Amy will continue to lead us like they did last year.
Sifford: Is anyone already impressing you?
Chamberlain: It’s hard to see how each player will ultimately play the game only watching them hit a ball into the nets. There have been a few players (Traken, Jade, Alli, Jackson, and Cambree) who have spent a lot of time in the offseason playing in various tournaments. I am hopeful that these players will help us early in the season.
Sifford: Has anyone improved greatly since last season?
Chamberlain: Again it’s pretty hard to see what the improvement has been watching a ball fly 3-5 feet into a net. There is a lot more to golf than just hitting the ball. I am curious to see the mental abilities of some of our younger players as well as the first-year seniors. We will need them to be competitive on the boys side.
Sifford: What’s the feeling you get from your players as you start the year?
Chamberlain: Most kids are excited to be playing. During spring break we had players golfing in Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, traveling all over the country to get away from the snow in Monticello. Hopefully that got some of the jitters out.
Sifford: What do you think your strengths are going to be this season?
Chamberlain: With the girls we are stronger emotionally as well as physically, we should be more competitive with a year of experience. The sophomores are going to be pushing the seniors which will elevate our team as a whole. 
On the boys side, with 11 players and only being able to take eight to the away matches the internal competition is going to be good for us. So our depth will be a great help.
Sifford: Where might you be weak?
Chamberlain: Our weakness will be not being able to practice on our course until mid April. I am hoping to be able to at least get to the driving range before our home match on April 28.
Sifford: What do you know about your opposition this year?
Chamberlain:  Things are always difficult to predict in the 1A ranks. Teams change drastically from year to year. In golf we remind our players that their greatest competition is themselves and we encourage them to focus on their game. That will be our approach for every match this year. If we can do that we will be successful.
Sifford: What goals do you have as a team? Coaching staff?
Chamberlain: We always push for our teams to improve not only their overall performance but increase their mental and physical skills.
Sifford: Can you tell me about other coaches who are helping you this year?
Chamberlain: We expect to get help from a number of different places including parents and other volunteers. Parents who support their golfer have always been a key to their success. A significant benefit we have is the help from our resident PGA Professional, Jeff Simon. His support of our teams is invaluable and we are grateful for the time and resources he expends to help us.
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Coach Chamberlain said after the match in Moab, “We are optimistic about our chances in region play and we need the practice to continue to better our team’s chances at state.”
The Buckaroos are playing in Green River this Friday, March 31 before a trip to Richfield to play the Cove View Golf Course on Thursday, April 6.