BOYS’ GOLF PREVIEW:Sea Kings trying to get over bad breaks

The mere mention of the sport snowboarding is enough to frustrate Mike Starkweather.

The Corona del Mar High boys’ golf coach would be happy if the sport never existed. If that was the case or different decisions were made the Sea Kings might be at the start of a season with hopes of putting a banner in the CdM gym.

Instead, two of the Sea Kings’ top four golfers are out, due to broken arms sustained while snowboarding. Senior Jack Francis was the first to venture out. Over Christmas break he hit the slopes, literally, breaking his arm and putting his season in serious jeopardy.

As a result, Starkweather had a talk with his team before, “Ski Week,” the President’s Day weeklong vacation in February. He told his team to stay away from snowboarding.

Sophomore Jeff Jones decided to lock his feet to a snowboard anyway and it resulted in a broken arm.

“We would have been very good if we had those kids,” Starkweather said. “Snowboarding is a curse.”

The emotions are mixed for Starkweather. He definitely understands his two players are disappointed in not playing golf this season, especially Francis, had high hopes for his final season.

“Bottom line is their careers have been stifled,” Starkweather said. “I feel really sorry for the kids. They picked this sport. Jeff is a sophomore so he has more years ahead of him, but Jack wants to play college golf. I love these kids dearly and I can empathize with them. I’m only there to get them further.”

But there is also a disappointment for the team and what it could have been.

“Where do you go from here? We’re still battling,” Starkweather said. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunities [for the other players]. The door is still open [for Jones and Francis].”

Starkweather said the Sea Kings’ predicament has brought the team closer together, with the upper-echelon players aiding teammates, trying to fill the void. Atop the list is senior David Su, the defending Pacific Coast League champion.

“Before the season we were an automatic shoe-in to get to CIF, now we’re working hard to get in,” said Starkweather, whose team is 4-4. “Those kids realize the have to work even harder now.”

Junior Taylor Keddington, sophomore Camden Nicholson and freshman Josh Starnes will provide support in the scoring department, but five scores are counted.

Junior Patrick Suozzi, sophomore Brett Jones and junior Chasen Bombola have been called upon to fill in.

“Those are the guys who are looking at that spot,” Starkweather said. “They are all working hard to make their games better. They all have very positive attitudes. We are really working hard to fill that void. Those guys are really working hard.”

COSTA MESA

COACH: Tom Baldwin (ninth season)

2006 RECORD: 4-4, third in league.

TOP RETURNERS: Garrick Vohs (Jr.), Steven Wright (Sr.), Eddie Rodriguez (Jr.).

KEY NEWCOMERS: Billy Lim (Fr.), Anthony Buckley (Sr.), David Harrison (Jr.), Jeff Long (Jr.), Cate Proulx (Fr.).

KEY DATES: vs. Estancia, March 27, Costa Mesa Country Club, 2:30 p.m.; vs. Laguna Beach, March 29, Costa Mesa Country Club, 2:30 p.m.

OUTLOOK: When the Mustangs were in the Golden West League they were perennially competing for third place behind Estancia and Orange. But with the addition of Laguna Beach and Calvary Chapel, to form a seven-team league, Costa Mesa has been bumped further down the chain.

Costa Mesa has enough talent to be the best of the non-elite schools. Vohs is in his third year on varsity and is the Mustangs’ top player. Wright and Rodriguez are both three-year letterman as well.

NEWPORT HARBOR

COACH: Scott Tarnow (seventh season)

2006 RECORD: 6-4 in the Sea View League, third place.

TOP RETURNERS: Bryce Greeley (Sr.), Justin Morehead (Sr.), Andrew Skjonsby (Sr.), Chase Bear (Jr.), Dan Darnell (Sr.), Dalton Shane (Sr.).

KEY NEWCOMERS: Dyllin Shane (Sr.), Michael Jugan (Sr.), Travis Russell (Fr.), Tad Doolin (So.)

KEY DATES: vs. Edison, March 22, at Seacliff Country Club, 2:30 p.m.; vs. Corona del Mar, March 28, at Newport Beach Country Club, 2:30 p.m.; vs. Los Alamitos, April 17, at El Dorado Country Club, 3 p.m.

OUTLOOK: The Sailors are loaded with experience as five of the top six players are seniors, most of which compete in golf tournaments either on weekends or in the summer. Newport Harbor’s rigorous pre-league schedule has it out to a 4-4 start, with a victory over Corona del Mar in the books.

Greeley, who returns as the team’s Most Valuable Player, advanced to the CIF Southern Section sectionals last season. He has a 37.5 average and Tarnow said he won five tournaments over the summer. Morehead is a three-year letterman and has a 38.5 average. Skjonsby returns to the varsity squad after spending last season at a golf school.

The Sailors made the move to the Sunset League, which Tarnow said is balanced. Tarnow added Newport Harbor will compete with Edison for a league title with Los Alamitos in the mix.

SAGE HILL

COACH: Mike Hogan (second season)

2006 RECORD: 14-3, 9-1 in Academy League, co-league champions.

TOP RETURNERS: Ryan Babbush (Sr.), Steven Choi (So.), Geoffrey Grant (Sr.)

KEY NEWCOMERS: James Chai (Fr.), Steven Grant (Fr.), Mac Mace (So.), Alec Maliwanag (So.), E. Ringman (So.).

KEY DATES: at St. Margaret’s, Marbella Country Club, March 20, 2:40 p.m.; Academy League preliminaries, San Clemente Municipal Golf Course, April, 30, 11 a.m.; Academy League final, El Niguel Country Club, May, 1, 1:30 p.m.

OUTLOOK: The Lightning (6-1, 5-0 in the Academy League) are off to a torrid start, picking up where they left off last season. Babbush, who was second-team all-league last season, has been the low scorer for Sage Hill in five of the seven matches, picking up medalist honors three times. Grant, who was second-team all-league last season, has led the Lightning in the other two matches, including a four-over-par 40 at Big Canyon Country Club.

Choi and Mace tied Babbush for the low score on the Lightning in a nonleague match up against Irvine.

The real test will come when Sage Hill faces St. Margaret’s Tuesday.

CORONA DEL MAR

COACH: Mike Starkweather (ninth season).

2006 RECORD: 12-4, 8-3 in Pacific Coast League.

TOP RETURNERS: David Su (Sr.), Taylor Keddington (Jr.), Camden Nicholson (So.).

KEY NEWCOMERS: Patrick Suozzi (Sr.), Brett Jones (So.), Chasen Bombola (Jr.), Josh Starnes (Fr.).

KEY DATES: vs. Newport Harbor, March 28, at Newport Beach Country Club, 3 p.m. at University Tournament, April 18, at Rancho San Joaquin, all day; at Pacific Coast League finals, May 2, at San Luis Rey Downs, 11 a.m.

OUTLOOK: The Sea Kings (4-3) took a major hit when half of their top four were knocked from the season due to injury. But they still have Su, who is guaranteed to make some noise. Last season Su advanced to the CIF Southern Section individual boys’ golf finals and missed moving on by a single stroke. Su was also the PCL champion.

Keddington, Nicholson and Starnes are all skilled golfers, but Sea Kings Coach Mike Starkweather is in search of a golfer to step up and score points in the fifth slot. The injuries have brought the team closer in an attempt to salvage the season.

ESTANCIA

COACH: Art Perry (22nd season)

2006 RECORD: 15-5, 8-0 in league.

TOP RETURNERS: Ryan Knapp (So.).

KEY NEWCOMERS: Storm Hagen, Pat Flannery, Drew Bertoni, Andrew Ayala.

KEY DATES: vs. Laguna Beach, Tuesday, Costa Mesa Country Club, 2:30 p.m.; vs. Costa Mesa, March 27, Costa Mesa Country Club, 2:30 p.m.; vs. Orange, April 3, Mesa Verde Country Club, 2:30 p.m.

OUTLOOK: Having Perry at the helm is a sure sign success will follow. The Eagles lost three of their top four golfers from last season’s Golden West League champions. Three-time league champion Marcus Sostak is gone, as well as Garrett McMasters and Greg Les, all of whom advanced to the CIF Southern Section Southern Divisional.

But the Eagles remain at the top of their league. Estancia is off to a 6-2 start, including 3-0 in league, with both losses coming to Division I teams, one of which was section divisional champion Edison. Knapp advanced with the three seniors to the divisional.