Boys Golf: Mesa behind the pack

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - There is a lot of catching up to do for the Costa Mesa

High boys golf team. After four of its six players competed in the

postseason winter sports, the quartet of Bryce Sheridan, Mike Gardiner,

Billy Lund and Steve Whittaker has had to speed up the training process

to get on track with the rest of the competition.

Sheridan, who is Mesa’s golf leader thus far, along with Gardiner and

Lund, played on the boys soccer team that won the school’s first Pacific

Coast League title. The trio of juniors then played two playoff games.

Whittaker, a senior, played a key role to help lead the Mustangs to a

share of Mesa’s first league title in the school’s 41 varsity seasons.

The Mustangs played one game in the second round of the CIF Southern

Section Division III-AA playoffs.

“We’ve struggled in (getting to where the competition is playing at),”

Mesa Coach Tom Baldwin said. “By the time (the quartet was) done we had a

match to play. They only had one practice day and then three matches.

We’re going to get better.”

The Mustangs also feature juniors Devon Stephens and Kevin Alexander

who lend support in the belief that Mesa will improve.

Jeff Montoya, who was the Mustangs’ No. 1 player for four years, is

gone and Sheridan has begun to fill the void.

“Bryce has taken over and he’s making the calls,” Baldwin said.

Though Mesa has been struggling, Baldwin is confident the Mustangs

will improve and he’s relying on the unpredictable action of golf which

gives them a shot as they start PCL competition this week.

Mesa’s PCL opener is against crosstown rival Estancia, Tuesday, at

Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club’s Mesa Linda course.

“Golf is a funny game,” Baldwin said. “Who knows? We can be in there,

among the contenders. Golf is different than other sports. There is no

argument of who is better when it is over.”

COSTA MESA BOYS GOLF

Kevin Alexander Jr.

Mike Gardiner Jr.

Billy Lund Jr.

Bryce Sheridan Jr.

Devon Stephens Jr.

Steve Whittaker Sr.