Boys' golf rivals expect to keep on rolling

CovCath, Ryle set to vie for regional again

By Marc Hardin, Enquirer Contributor

Expect the neck-and-neck golf rivalry between Covington Catholic and Ryle to continue unimpeded this season.  "It's us and them every year for the title," Ryle senior Blake Hamilton said. "Last year, they beat us in the regional after we won three years in a row. We definitely don't want them to win twice in a row."

The Colonels and Raiders have represented the region at the state tournament each of the past nine years. Last season, CovCath ended Ryle's run as three-time Seventh Region champion, but Hamilton became the Raiders' fifth individual winner in nine years. CovCath won the team crown from 2001-06, but did not make the first-day cut at last year's state event, in which Ryle placed tied for eighth.  The Colonels, winners by four shots at the regional, lost three of their top five scorers. The Raiders are returning their top four players. Hamilton, 20th at state, is joined by fellow senior Chris Desmarais, junior Paul Clancy and sophomore Zach Adams. Sophomores Davis McNichol and Hunter Hughes and freshman Logan Gamm comprise a strong top seven.

"I like how a lot of our guys are younger," Desmarais said. "It means we'll still be strong after the seniors leave."

Ryle coach Jonathan Ehlen won the region as a Raider in 2002 before embarking on a successful golf career at Northern Kentucky University. He has been exposed to a variety of ways to improve play and evaluate talent. His Wednesday team tryouts at the Golf Ranch in Burlington involved a skills test featuring 15 playing stations at which each golfer had three swings to score. Each shot received a score of 1-3.

"Davis had the best score, so that says how deep we are," Ehlen said. "I think our top seven or eight guys are pretty close in ability and that allows me a lot of flexibility for all these tournaments we're going to be playing in."

By the time they reach the regional, the Raiders will have been tournament-tested. Ryle is slated to participate in 13 tournaments and an Aug. 17 18-hole event against CovCath at Triple Crown.

"We are not playing one 9-hole match all season," Ehlen said. "In college, I learned how tournaments help you get better. One of the things about a tournament setting is it allows kids to play against other golfers and on other courses that they don't see as much, in a college setting. And college coaches come to these tournaments."

The Raiders will begin their season Monday at the Shelbyville Invitational at Weissinger Hills Golf Course, and they will play in six events the first two weeks. They will have new uniforms and new gear.

"We let the team pick out everything, from shirts and pants to bags and shoes, and we let them design the bags," Ehlen said. "Everything is trendy, right down to the white belt that (PGA golfer) Rickie Fowler likes to wear. We think it boosts their confidence when they step to the tee and look the part of a successful golfer."

Also new is the Raiders' conditioning program, which focuses less on lifting weights and more on running and building range of motion and power through compound movements that simulate a golf swing. Workouts will begin at 6 a.m. each school day.

"The kids don't like me for it, but it will pay off in the end," Ehlen said.

Boys' golf rivals expect to keep on rolling