From the Bench: Rancho Bernardo High’s depth key to September run
By Michael Bower
The Bench has been sizzling here in Poway for the first month of the high school sports season. But there is one team much hotter than the weather has been in the local area this past month: that would be the Rancho Bernardo girls golf team.
Tori Hancock and the Rancho Bernardo High girls golf team went 13-1 in the month of September. Photo by Steve Logsdon
The Broncos, which landed a spot in the SoCal Regional Championships with a second-place finish at the San Diego Section Championships last year, have had a blistering month of September.
Rancho Bernardo went 13-1 and 4-1 in Palomar League play. The only loss for the Broncos came to two-time defending state champion Torrey Pines. And let’s face it, the Falcons are just in a class of their own.
But don’t tell Broncos coach Tim Steigerwald Torrey Pines cannot be beaten.
“My girls know we can do it,” he said. “It is high school golf and who knows what could happen. These girls know it can be done.”
The Broncos have gotten where they are through their impressive depth, as Blaiz Major, Jessica Wagner, Raquel Ek, Rachel Machado and Hannah Bradshaw have all proven they can step up to be the medalist on any given day.
“We for sure have five or six girls that can have the low round of the day,” Steigerwald said. “I think I have had five girls shoot par or better.”
Eight of the nine golfers who make up the Broncos’ squad have managed to make it into the top five during a match. That is why Steigerwald, who has been coaching for 10 years at Rancho Bernardo, calls this year’s team the best in the school’s 22-year history.
“This is the best team just because we are so deep,” he said. “With the scores they are posting, it is easily the best team we have ever had. And these girls’ life is not all about golf. That is just what they are doing now. They are very modest, normal kids.”
Rancho Bernardo High girls golf team
The Broncos fired a school-record, 2-over par, 182 last week at the Bernardo Heights Country Club. They did it without their No. 4 player, Hancock. It was an amazing feat that must have caught the attention of Torrey Pines.
“I did some research and talked with the Torrey Pines coach and they shot 178 this year, but outside of that 182 is the best he has ever heard of,” Steigerwald said. “And our course is a legitimate course.”
The Broncos hope to continue their torrid pace right into the section championships.
“We plan on winning out and hopefully we can take Torrey Pines at our course,” Steigerwald said. “It is a lot of fun to coach these kids. They believe they can shoot par every time out there, and they know they can do it.”
****
ADAIR BREAKS SCHOOL RUSHING RECORD: The Bench wants to congratulate Ivy Adair for rushing for a Rancho Bernardo single-game record 370 yards in last week’s 27-26 loss to San Marcos.
The mark eclipsed the Broncos’ David Rhodes’ 325-yard performance in 1999 against West Hills and ranks fifth all-time in the section (including 8-man football). It ranks fourth in the section not including 8-man football games.
Adair’s previous single-game high (281 yards) came two games prior against Mt. Carmel.
Nice job, Ivy.
Related posts:
- Prep Girls Golf: Rancho Bernardo High comes up short against Torrey Pines
- Prep Girls Golf: Rancho Bernardo High, local golf teams loaded for success
Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=29142
Posted by Michael Bower
on Oct 3 2012. Filed under Featured Story, From the Bench Columns, High School, Sports.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
