By Kyle LoJacono
The 2010 Wesley Chapel boys golf team did things never before done by the program, namely winning a regional championship and reaching the Class 1A state tournament.
Four of the top-five golfers from that squad graduated. The Wildcats also lost coach Alan Black, who retired from the post after starting the program when Wesley Chapel High opened in 1999.
“We tried extra hard to get coach Black all the way to states and send him out on top,” said sophomore Noah Fleck, the only returner who played significantly last year. “We got him a regional title too, which was pretty nice. Would have liked that state title, but it was still an amazing year.”
In steps a new cast of golfers primed and prepared to leave their own mark on the Pasco County golfing season, with Mike Rogers at the helm. It is Rogers’ first time coaching a golf squad, but he describes himself as “a recreational golfer with a love” for the game.
“My goal for them is to teach the fundamental skills of golf,” said Rogers, who is also Wesley Chapel’s athletic director. “A lot of them need to be taught the rules of the game. Just want to help them develop into better golfers over the coming years. We have a very young team, but some good young talent.”
Of the 11 players on the roster, none are seniors.
“We’re excited that we’ll have all these kids on board for the next few years,” Rogers said. “There is some really good raw talent, and it’s my job to help develop them into good golfers.”
One of the older players is junior John Nickisher, who likes the wide-open nature of the team’s rankings entering this year.
“There’s a big opportunity here for everyone to be one of the top-five golfers,” Nickisher said. “There is a lot of competition for us all. It’s good to have that opportunity.”
Many of the players are new, but two have last names that will be familiar with the opposition. Noah and freshman Corey Mumaw are the younger brothers of Jacob Fleck and Brandon Mumaw, the Wildcats top-two golfers last year.
“We’ve got really young players, so we have a chance to have the same team for a couple years,” Corey said. “Last year Jacob Fleck and my brother were always No. 1 and 2, and now me and Noah are on the team together as young players. It’s kind of like when our brothers started playing here four years ago. Hopefully we can do as well as they did.”
Corey looks up to his big brother, but wants to write his own page into the Wesley Chapel record books.
“I’ve always had competition with my brother,” Corey said. “I always try to outdo whatever he does.”
Brandon is attending Saint Leo University on a baseball scholarship. Noah said Jacob is attending Santa Fe College in Gainesville and will attempt to walk on the team at the University of Florida in a few years.
“I got to play a lot with my brother last year, which was really nice,” Noah said. “We live on a golf course and we play regularly, but not in something like the regional tournament last year. That was really special.”
Rogers predicts Noah will be a big part of the squad this year with both his scores and his leadership.
“He can become a really big leader for us,” Rogers said. “Obviously he has good bloodlines for this game. He’s got the potential to be a dominating golfer in the county and be our leader for a number of years.”
The Wildcats will tee off for their first match of the year at home at Lexington Oaks Golf Club in Wesley Chapel against Mitchell on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
“We’re all ready to go out there and show what we can do,” Nickisher said. “Can’t wait for the first match.”
