Ready or not, fall prep sports begin Monday with golf

It’s time to tee it up for fall high school sports in Montana.

And tee is the appropriate word as golf has the honors of starting play with cross country, football, soccer and volleyball programs all to follow later this month.

Flathead and Glacier will be on the links in Great Falls for the 36-hole Great Falls Invitational on Monday (Meadowlark Country Club) and Tuesday (Eagle Falls Golf Course).

Area Class A schools begin their seasons on Wednesday with the Columbia Falls Invitational at Meadow Lake Resort.

The golf action ends Sept. 27-28 with the AA state tournament at the Butte Country Club and the A state tournament Sept. 28-29 in Hamilton.

Flathead welcomes back a couple of standouts and has high hopes for some new faces on its rosters.

Marcella Mercer, who placed eighth at state as a freshman, will again lead the Bravettes.

Mercer won the Missoula Invitational last year and finished in the top 10 at every meet.

“She’s physically stronger, hitting the ball even better,” Flathead coach Kyle Dunfee, in his third year with the program, said.

“Where she has to improve is the short game — chipping and putting. That will come. She has played all summer.”

Mercer will have some scoring help team-wise this year from freshman Jillian Wynne.

“She was our No. 2 player in qualifying,” Dunfee said.

“Don’t want to put any pressure on her, but she has the potential (to do very well).”

Seniors Cassidy Lavin and Sheridan Stroop will give Flathead a formidable foursome.

Lavin was in the top 15 at state last year before fading on the final day.

Senior Sierra Dilworth is out for the first time and shows promise. A speech and debate standout, Dilworth is already scoring in the high 90s after six weeks of play.

“She will steadily improve as the season goes along,” Dunfee said.

Dunfee has nine girls on the roster.

For Flathead’s boys, Ezra Epperly, now a sophomore, will start the season as the team’s top player. He was No. 2-3 for most of last year.

Seniors Spencer Christy and Ryan Thomson were on the state team in 2017 and also return.

Two freshman who will contribute are Drew Lowry and Joston Cripe.

“Ezra played in the state Am and a number of tournaments this summer,” Dunfee said.

“If anything, he gained a lot of tournament experience. He will use that to his advantage going into the season.

“Ryan and Spencer played a lot of recreational golf, along with Drew and Joston.

“I’m excited about all five boys. There is a lot of parity with this group. They will push each other all year long.”

Jim Schaible is in his seventh season as head coach for the Glacier Wolfpack. He was an assistant prior to that for five years.

The Glacier girls have three state players back from last year’s squad in seniors Kate Trunkle and Avery Anderson and junior Hailey Iverson.

New this year is sophomore transfer Alana Griffin and two juniors out for the first time — Abi Manger and Blayke Foppianno.

“I’m expecting her to make a big impact on the team,” Schaible said of Griffin, who played last year in Texas.”

“She, Kate and Hailey are pretty good shooters. Avery can do the same. All are capable of breaking 100, even 90. She (Griffin) comes in with a lot of playing experience.”

Eight girls are on the roster.

“A big learning curve for her,” Schaible said of Manger.

“I think she will do substantially better.

“(Blayke) has a lot of energy and potential. She will see some varsity action.

“Huge improvement over what we had in the past,” Schaible said of his girls this year.

“They put the time in this summer to get their game better.”

The Glacier boys will start the season with a young lineup. Keaton Cassidy and Will Salonen, both freshman, will start first and second after qualifying.

Two returning players with varsity experience are sophomores Ethan Purdy and Sam Manaker.

“Very young, but these boys are good,” Schaible said.

Senior Caden Willis, who was on the state roster last year, will also contribute and be a positive influence on the younger player.

Freshman Coby Kunda is another player to keep an eye on.

“Young and it looks like a big improvement in our scores over last year,” Schaible said of the boys.

“We will be pretty solid.

“I’m looking forward to the season. It will be a building year with the boys. The girls will be more dedicated and solid than what we’ve had in the past. It’s looking up for Glacier golf.”