Centre golf

Talent multiplies
in shortened season

Center High football players agreed to a trade that helped the boys’ golf program field enough competitors to place a team for the first time, said coach Max Venable.’

The deal was pitched by three seniors who wanted junior Elias Jirak on next year’s football team badly enough they offered to play spring golf.

In return, Jirak promised go out for fall football.

“They held up their end of the bargain,” Venable said, chuckling at the memory. “We’ll see if he holds up his.”

That and word of mouth helped grow the team to 11 golfers this year, more than they needed to have a shot during team competition.

It would have been a nice first for Center, Venable said.

“We have never medaled at a team event. We have never had four golfers,” he said. “I would also have liked to send a team to state.”

Jirak competed at state last year and aimed to return and improve his score this year.

The boys faced a travel-packed schedule with matches set in Herington, Hillsboro, Goessel, and Newton.

Their first match would have been 1 p.m., April 7 at Herington.