Posted: 4/16/03

Boys golf team will rely on underclassmen

Berk Brown
Sports Editor
Forest Lake boys golf coach Roger Cheyne has the best of two worlds this season.

Heís got senior leadership and young talent, which he thinks could be a successful combination on the course this season.

Seniors Mike Paisley ñÝthe team captain ñÝand Ryan Moen return for the Rangers, but a majority of the returning varsity players are underclassmen, including several sophomores.

Paisley was the top junior varsity golfer at the end of last year for the Rangers while Moen also was able to gain valuable experience a year ago.

While Forest Lake will need to rely on their seniors for consistent scores, the best scores this season will likely be put up by underclassmen.

ìThe strength of our team lies in the 10th-grade class,î Cheyne said, ìwhich can be both good and bad.

ìBut, that group of five (sophomores), probably, talent-wise, is kind of where the future of the team lies. As they go, the team will go.î

The group of five sophomores Cheyne refers to includes Jacob Svenkeson, Adam Svenkeson, Noah Lawson, Brad Lange and Mark Moberg.

As a freshman last year, Jacob Svenkeson led the Rangers at the Section 7AA meet with a team-best 85. Lawson and Dan Svenkeson each shot an 86, giving the Rangers three freshman at the top of their leaderboard in the final meet of the season.

Moberg comes to Forest Lake from North Branch while Lange has shown some flashes of potential early this season.

Not to be overshadowed by the sophomores, Cheyne also has a talented group of juniors.
Nate Denny lettered a year ago and Cheyne said he looks for him to be a good player for the Rangers this season.

Eric Larsen played at the junior varsity level as a sophomore a year ago and Cheyne said he expects him to play varsity during parts of the season. Charlie Devore is a junior who barely missed the cut last year and has a chance to be a solid junior varsity and potentially varsity golfer.

Eighth-grader Kyle Lewis could also surprise this season.

In all, Cheyne said his team will likely count a lot of scores from underclassmen this year, which bodes well for the future.

ìWeíre going to be young,î he said. ìIn any match, weíre going to have to count on three or probably four underclassmen. Weíre going to be young, but in golf thatís not such a bad thing.
ìBy the time next year rolls around, that will be the time for them to put some numbers up.î

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