Blue Ponies ready to tee it up

As much of the area's fall sports are making their way toward their season-openers, the Havre High golf teams are ready to hit the course.

Under new coach George Ferguson, the HHS squads have some key players returning this season.

The Blue Pony boys have many key returners on their roster. Senior Tyrel Kjersem; juniors Josh Warp, Nolan Lotton, Clint Owens, Caleb Chambliss, Hunter Velk and Eli Cloninger; and sophmores Tavish McLean, Theron Peterson and Kale Reno make up the hefty amount of experience that will be back for the season. The rest of the boy's roster consists of Collin Miller, Callan Gobin, Isaac Pedraza, Trennis Riley, Colby Tilleman, Ethan Elliot, Joram Randolph, Dylan Kuhn, Kaden Burnell, Dylan Kimberling, Lane Kinsella, Hunter Smith, Wyatt Simpson and Cory Kieffler.

"I'm excited about the group of boys we have," Ferguson said. "We have a lot of returning experience. We have a group of boys who have played a lot of competitive golf now.

"We also have a lot of depth," he continued. "Our qualifying rounds are going to be really competitive all season long because our boys team has so much depth. And that is going to help us get better."

Coming off a Central A Divisional third-place finish last season, qualifying four players for state, and returning every player from varsity last season, the Blue Pony boys are looking to be a team with the necessary pieces to have a good season.

"The boys can do some really good things this year," Ferguson said. "We have a chance to be very competitive in the Eastern A and beyond. We just need to stay patient, keep working on the things that will lower our scores as the season goes on. The objective is to be playing our best golf at divisionals. But overall, I think our boys team has the talent to compete with anybody, and I'm excited to see what they can do."

On the other hand, the Havre girls are looking to grow this season. The girls lost top players in All-Stater Teagan Fee and Kinzee Peterson after finishing second at divisionals last year. Even without their top players, though, the girls team carries key players like juniors Jocelyn Staples and Carlee Kato, as well as sophomore Sophie Kirkpatrick, and they can look to do great things in the golf season. The rest of the girl's roster includes Mia Valdez and Sylvie McKeon-Hanson, which gives the girls team five players.

"It's going to be a new experience for our girls this year," Ferguson said. "We have only two players who have played high school golf before. But, we do have a group of girls who are going to get better and better as the season goes on. We have a girls team that yes, is inexperienced, but it's a team that I think will improve every single week, and that's the goal."

"It's not about August, it's about the end of September, so we're just going to help them improve, and I think they'll really surprise some people by the end of the season," he continued.

Ferguson himself is also looking forward to the season ahead as the new head coach.

"I'm really excited to be coaching the golf team," Ferguson said. "Golf is a passion for me, and I think my experience with the tennis teams all these years will translate well to coaching golf. Not to mention, I get to coach more at Havre High. I love the kids we have here in Havre, I think we have a great group of kids out for golf. So it's really exciting for me."

Ferguson also commented on the season.

"I think it's going to be a great year," Ferguson added. "Our numbers are really good. We have a lot of kids out who are very excited and who love playing golf. I think we can do some really good things this season. I just want the kids to work hard, have a lot of fun playing the great game of golf, and improve as the season goes along."

The Blue Ponies open their 2019 season at today's Great Falls Invitational. Havre hosts its Havre Invitational Thursday at Prairie Farms Golf Course.