Blazers fall in last game of season

The Blair golf team failed to end its season on a high note as it faced Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg and Paint Branch in a tough match on September 22. The Blazers fell to 8-9-1 for the season, beating Paint Branch but losing to Gaithersburg and Quince Orchard.

Underachieving has been a recurring theme for the Blazers this season after they finished the 2003 season at 14-2. Because of last season's success, Blair moved up from the Kohut to the Kyle division, a transition which has been hard for the Blazers, as they now face tougher opponents like Quince Orchard. "Following last season's success in division play, this year has really been a disappointment," said Coach James Schafer.

After their record fell to 0-3, the Blazers pulled a mini-run to win seven of their last 12 matches and tie one. They were looking to carry this momentum through to their season finale. Despite the streak, Schafer believes the team could have played a lot better. "[We are] playing well below our level," said Schafer before Wednesday's match.

Senior Bill McManigle led the starting six, shooting a 44 despite playing the four spot. McManigle felt comfortable on the course after a solid outing during which his shots were reasonably accurate. "The course played pretty easy," said McManigle. Unfortunately, the rest of the team did not have the same luck. Their scores ranged from the high 40s to the mid 50s.

Scheduling problems could account for the recent slump. Senior Neil Hofman pointed out that his team had three games this week, instead of its usual two. The additional game did not allow the squad enough time to practice on the basics.

Senior Neal Vasilak, who played the one spot, claims that underachievement has lasted all season, and hopes it does not continue into the district competition next Tuesday. "[We have had] a lot of inconsistent play, we really hope everyone will pull it together for districts," said Vasilak.

Schafer hopes his team members will prove themselves in the district competition this year after coming in ninth out of 23 last year. "We are going into districts with a chip on our shoulders. We want to prove we are a better team than our division record indicates," said Schafer.

The district competition begins next Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. at the Poolesville Golf Course. It is an all day, par 71 course with 18 holes.