Jackets, Lady Jackets best Berrien on the green
Published 2:08 pm Monday, March 3, 2025
MAKING THE PUTT: The Yellow Jackets made their best putts on Thursday, during their match over Berrien. (Jill Holloway/The Thomasville Times- Enterprise)
HELPING THE LADY JACKETS GRAB A WIN: Emily Wilson is a returning junior, who helped grab a win over Berrien on Thursday. (Jill Holloway/The Thomasville Times- Enterprise)
THOMASVILLE- The Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets golf team won their match over Berrien on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at Country Oaks Golf Course.
The girl’s team won 172-174 with Taylor Davis being the low scorer for the Lady Jackets, shooting a 55.
The boy’s team played a Ryder Cup-style match and won 3 to 1, with Wyatt Elkins as the low scorer, shooting a 40.
Head Coach Kevin Esch said he and Berrien’s head coach had discussed the possibility of a Ryder Cup-style match at the end of last season to break up the monotony of regular play.
“We did a two-man scramble, so if they mess up on one hole it doesn’t drag them down the rest of the match,” Esch explained.
The girls had a regular stroke play match, and impressed Esch with their win, keeping calm even when the competition was tough.
“I’m just proud we won,” he said. “The boys really played as a team and it was good to see them come together.”
With a younger team this year, Esch is primarily looking for growth in each match.
“The girls program is really growing,” he said. “We have three juniors this year with six on the team.”
The boy’s program has four juniors leading the team, and Esch hopes to see them make a run at the region title this year but acknowledged it will be difficult.
“It’s going to be tough on the boy’s side to compete for the region title,” he said. “We will go up against Coffee County who is the best in the state.”
Despite the tough competition, Esch is continuing to help his team take advantage of every opportunity to make them better.
“Winning matches is great, but we judge based off tournaments,” he said. “We are able to get a better sense of where we are when we attend these.”
On Monday, the Lady Jackets attended the Coffee County Invitational, while the Jackets appeared in the Bacon Raider Invitational.
Esch is hopeful to return from the tournaments with things both teams can improve on early in the season.
The Jackets will host the Cairo Syrupmakers in their next at-home match on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Country Oaks.
