It’s been like clockwork for the Windermere boys golf team.
As October morphed into the FHSAA state finals this month, the Wolverines took their game up a notch and solidified themselves as a state contender.
They’re being led by brothers, who are taking their friendly competition up a notch to help a team that hopes to claim an elusive state championship in Friday-Saturday’s Class 3A state tournament at Mission Inn Resort & Club located at Howey-in the Hills.
Windermere finished two shots behind rival Dr. Phillips in last week’s 3A Region 2 tournament, but that back and forth has been a theme this season.
In district play it was the Wolverines on top with the Panthers five strokes behind in second.
At the Metro Conference meet, the margin also was five with talented DP prevailing.
In Windermere’s Wolverines vs. the World meet, the host was the top local team out of 29 schools in third place, one shot ahead of the Panthers.
“We’ve been rotating back and forth with each better in every other meet, so I hope that pattern continues for state,” Windermere coach Eric Bacon said, only half joking since golfers are quite superstitious.
Senior Carson Baez, a University of Richmond commit, has been playing well. Junior Cameron Baez has been matching his older brother for the last month, taking his play up a notch.
Both made the 2022 All-Area team. This year Carson is the No. 2 area player in iWanamaker golf app rankings, behind Lake Mary Prep senior Barry Zhang. They are followed by West Orange junior Shawn Coultoff and Cameron.
“There always has been and always will be a healthy competitive relationship between me and my brother,” Carson said. “Even outside of golf, there’s always been a competitive relationship in whatever we do. Cameron always makes everything we do together a competition, even the absolute smallest things.”
In golf, that can mean practice sessions with one challenge after another: “Closest to the flag on the range? I bet I can beat you in a putting contest. Wanna have a match?”
Carson says Cameron takes competition more seriously.
“We end up being neck and neck with me beating him most of the time by only a stroke or two, which I won’t gloat about,” Carson said. “But whenever he does end up beating me, I never hear the end of it. It’s a little brother thing to make me mad.”
Cameron has a somewhat sentimental reason for the competitiveness.
“It’s fun playing against a soon to be D-I golfer and holding him to it when I get the better of him on the course on certain days,” he said. “But there’s only so much left that I can play with him before I have to wait to face him in amateur events, and later in college, so I’m squeezing in a lot of victories against him.”
In this year’s region meet, Carson shot 69 to edge Cameron by one stroke for medalist honors.
At district, Cameron shot 68 to edge Carson by a stroke for medalist.
In the Metro meet, both shot 66. At Wolverines vs. the World, Carson shot 137 (67-70) while Cameron shot 138 (70-68). At the Qdoba, Cameron had two rounds of 71 (142), five shots better than Carson’s 147.
Their back and forth can only help the Wolverines.
Dr. Phillips has proven to be a worthy opponent and contender for the 3A state title.
The Panthers are led by seniors Taneesh Sirivolu (69 region score), Brandon Lohr (72) and AJ Whitten (72).
In Class 1A, The First Academy (295), Lake Highland Prep (300), Lake Mary Prep (301) and Circle Christian (304) notched the top four places in the Region 2 boys meet at Hawkstone Country Club. All four earned berths in the 1A state tournament, Nov. 14-15, at Mission Inn.
Lake Mary Prep won the 1A title in 2020 as the last Orlando area team to win a boys team title. The last local 3A champion was Winter Park in 2018.
Lake Mary wins Qdoba girls golf championship; XC stars claim FlRunners titles
Can girls dominate?
Lake Mary’s two-time defending state champion girls team is again peaking at the perfect time.
The Rams set a school record with a 279 team score in the 3A Region 1 meet at Hawkstone Country Club. Ryleigh Knaub, a junior, shot 65 as the top individual in that meet, matching her 65 district tournament win.
Lake Mary’s momentum has been boosted by its talented supporting cast.
When senior starter Arenui Faana got sick a ninth grade reserve, Eli Chon, shot the team’s third-best score (73) in the region meet.
“She stepped up when we needed her,” said veteran Rams coach Dennis Burchill.
In addition, sophomore Meyher Khokhar scorched the back nine with five birdies and an eagle on the 17th for 6-under-par 30 and an overall round of 67.
In Class 1A, girls teams from The First Academy, Lake Mary Prep, Windermere Prep and Circle Christian have combined to win 13 consecutive championships. That streak may be challenged by Florida Atlantic University High School, which shot 284 to win its Region 4 meet ahead of another Boca Raton school, St. Andrews (292), and Sagemont Prep (298) which is another South Florida squad.
Defending state champion TFA won Region 2 in tough, windy conditions at Cocoa Beach Country Club with 302. Lake Mary Prep (314), Windermere Prep (315) and Circle Christian (317) were bunched up from second to fourth in that meet.
Thanks to the at-large berths based on regular-season and postseason performance, all four Central Florida powerhouse teams advanced to try to keep Central Florida’s 1A dominance rolling.
St. Cloud, Lake Nona, DeLand and Winter Park join Lake Mary in the 3A girls tournament.
Boys teams in the 1A competition are Lake Mary Prep, Circle Christian, TFA and Lake Highland Prep.
Lake Nona and Winter Park are in the 3A boys tournament.
Varsity Weekly: TFA girls golf wins big; Winter Park celebrates 95 football seasons
Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
