Lufkin Panther Golf Team Is Headed To State

Written by: the Site Administrator on May 14, 2009 at 11:06 am

Malcolm Bennett
Sports Editor

The 2009 Lufkin Panther Golf Tem ended the 13 year drought, advancing to the State Meet for the first time in since 1995. The Lufkin Golf team  is in  Austin to play at Jimmy Clay Golf Course this weekend.

“It feels like we accomplished something very good, it’s something I always dreamed about, now the time is here its feels surreal,” said Senior Michael Haney.

Coach Danny Leatherman said a tough schedule helped the team out tremendously.

“I knew at the first of the year we had the chance to be good,” Leatherman said. “I just did not know how good. We purposely played what I think was the toughest schedule in the state to prepare.”

For The Pack, practice has not changed much, sticking to the routine that got them to state, a routine that includes spending time on the practice putting green and hitting “a ton of balls” on the driving range, according to Haney.

Leatherman said the team went to Austin last weekend for some practice.

“We played a practice round on Saturday and got fimiliar wih he golf course,” he said. “Then we will practice as usual.”

The Lufkin Panthers feels no pressure going out onto the links and trying to bring home the trophy.

“We know the pressure is not on us because nobody expected s to get this far but ourselves,” Senior Chase Webb said. “So the pressure is on the other teams.”

The Pack will be joined at the state tournament by The Woodlands, Mansfield and El Paso Hanks from Region I, Houston Memorial and Katy Seven Lakes from Region III and Austin Westlake and San Antonio Reagan from Region IV.

“We’ve beat everyone in the tournament except The Woodlands and Memorial and we played even with Westlake earlier in the year,” Leatherman said. “We know we can compete, and I think if we can get four guys to play to their capabilities at the same time, we have a shot.”