By Katie Ward
Community News Writer
Loftis Middle School’s Cougars golf team was successful this season, especially on the boys’ team.
“The boys golf team was undefeated during the regular season,” coach Nina Coppinger said. “They came in second in the district tournament, and came in second in the regional tournament. They finished eleventh in the state tournament in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.”
The Loftis Middle School girls’ golf team sent sixth-grader Jessica Cathey to the regional tournament after she qualified in district.
All-County players for Loftis Middle School’s golf teams were Haley Cothran and Logan Vandergriff.
“Haley is a seventh-grade girl, but she plays on the boys’ golf team,” Mrs. Coppinger said. “She has to play from the men’s tees. She is a great player. She played in a lot of tournaments around town.”
The team will only lose eighth-grader Robert Newell this year.
“He is a very dependable, reliable young man,” Mrs. Coppinger said.
Parents and grandparents were supportive of the team, which Mrs. Coppinger feels really helped the players during the season, she said.
“Logan, a seventh-grader, did really well this season,” she said. “Logan has other sports he enjoys as well such as football and wrestling. He is a natural athlete.”
Several awards were given out to the top golfers on the team. The awards were: Coach’s Award, Jessica Cathey, for exemplifying the most dedication throughout the season; Team Captain Award, Haley Cothran, for demonstrating leadership; Underclassman Award, Jacob Clark, for doing well; and Most Improved Player, Andy Holden, because of his dedication through taking golf lessons and improving his swing.
“This is my second year coaching the golf team,” Mrs. Coppinger said. “My husband (Jim) is my assistant coach.”
She explained that he has been playing golf for years and helped the players improve their golf game.
“I am really looking forward to next year with this team,” Mrs. Coppinger said. “We have eight boys on the team and we are only losing one. We have three girls on the girls’ team. We did not have a girls’ team last year except for Haley and she plays with the boys.”
She anticipates that next year Jacob will be tough to beat because he is improving so rapidly.
“These kids work hard,” she said. “A lot of them take lessons and a lot of them are members of golf courses. I am a member at Valleybrook Golf Club. They let us use their course for our home matches.”
LMS’s golf season lasted for three months, March through May, with May 15th as the season ending State Tournament in Murfreesboro.
“We are just really a growing golf program with dedicated hardworking kids,” she said.
E-mail Katie Ward at kward@tfpcommunitynews.com
