Sports

Knights breaking records

• The defending state champion Deerfield-Windsor golf team takes its record- breaking title defense into the postseason today at the region tournament.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — After winning the GISA Class AAA state golf title last season convincingly, Deerfield-Windsor coach Gordy Gruhl provides his opponents one warning – this year is better.

In fact, it's his best.

All five starters returned from a lineup which includes T.J. Mitchell — who received a scholarship from No. 1 Georgia — reigning Herald Player of the Year Ashton Pellicano, Herald runner-up Collin Ho, along with the interchangeable No. 4's Brad Germany and Neal Wethington.

The Knights have scored below 300 four times and have not lost a single tournament or meet, highlighted last week when they broke the school record with a 289.

That is why anything less than a second consecutive state title would be a disappointment.

"We're looking forward to this," said 18-year DWS coach Gruhl, referring to the state tournament held April 28 at Doublegate Country Club in which the Knights have already secured a spot. "I'm expecting us to do better. If you look at the numbers, this is the best I've ever coached."

That's bad news for opposing teams as the Knights' quest for two in a row begins today in the Region 3-AAA tournament at Houston Lake Country Club.

It was no secret, Deerfield was already good.

They won last year's state tournament with a 314 – 13 strokes better than second place Augusta Prep Day – but that was without T.J. Mitchell playing to his potential.

Mitchell, who played as the Knights' No. 1 in his eighth-grade, freshman and sophomore seasons – good enough to receive a scholarship from top-ranked Georgia as a sophomore – unexpectedly averaged around 75 and dropped to the No. 3 spot in the lineup.

"Last year, I had mental things get in the way," Mitchell said. "I put too much pressure on myself to play really well and it affected my game."

Now, Mitchell is showing why the current top collegiate golf program in the country wanted him as a sophomore as he leads DWS to one of its finest seasons ever.

He has emerged once again as the Knights' No. 1 averaging 70.5 this season and has finished with medalist honors in six of eight tournaments.

Why the resurgence?

With the pressure off, Mitchell said he turned it around at the Men's Club Championship at Stonebridge and shot a 66.

That tournament taught him all he needed to know heading into the season – when the pressure heats up.

"I have to remember to have fun," said Mitchell, who was the first person at Wednesday's practice. "I need to stay focused and not rush things or get too far ahead of myself."

The new philosophy has worked for Mitchell. Along with Pellicano and Ho's 73 averages it has helped the Knights raise their game to another level.

"Now, we have three guys at the top that would be most team's No. 1," Gruhl said of Mitchell, Pellicano and Ho. "And the biggest development has been at the No. 4 spot; Neal shot a 76 (Tuesday) and Brad shot a 75 when we broke the school record.

"If they continue to shoot like that, we have a chance to break it again."

But the Knights know they cannot get too far ahead of themselves.

Since the state championship is decided in a one-day event, anything can happen.

If Tuesday's meet in Americus was any lesson, a six-stroke win against rival Southland – the competition is capable of going low too.

"We're going to start feeling the pressure," Ho said. "That's why we have to stay calm and not get too worked up over one shot. You can't worry about what anyone else is doing."

And as if it was not already hard enough for opposing teams to knock off the Knights, the state tournament will be played at Doublegate, its home course.

"I think it'll help," Pellicano said. "But you can have home course advantage; you still have to hit your shots."

Though Gruhl has three solid No. 1’s, a re-emerged Mitchell and a developing No. 4 spot – Gruhl puts his team’s mentality to the top of that list in its pursuit to repeat.

“This team has a demeanor about them,” Gruhl said. “When they are on the course, you can’t tell if they are shooting a 70 or an 80, they go about it like business … They’ve done this before.”

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