Practice makes perfect for every team, but the golf team has to put a little extra to get there.

Most sports teams at Stephen Decatur High School have the privilege of having their fields close by. But the golf team has to travel to perfect their swings. They have traveled to countless golf courses across the Eastern Shore just to get in their practice time.

But they are willing to make the drive, they said, because they have the drive to be better. “Every player on this team has a passion to get better,” and it shows through their dedication and performance.

In a season full of winning Seahawks sports squads, one team in particular has made its way to the top. With a record of 11-1, the golf team has been playing their hardest and it shows on the course.

Evan Oglesby, a junior trailblazer for the golf team, said that “every player on this team has a passion for getting better. [They] work every day to get better overall.” Oglesby says his team works collectively, although it is an individual sport. They all share one goal. Winning.

Junior golf star Kole Kohut said, “Our hard work and charisma makes us the best team in Bayside.” Kohut knows they can “win it all” when it comes to their individual game play.

With every good team, there is an amazing coach standing with them. Coach Dan Stearman is new to the Decatur golf team and shares the same hopes for his squad.

“He makes arrangements for us to practice more and more,” Kohut says. “He encourages us to do better every time we are on the course.”

Coach Stearman has been coaching the varsity team for four years now, after coaching the junior varsity team for six years prior. After being asked to take over the varsity team, Stearman was more than happy to coach new players and get to know how his new team would thrive.

Stearman said this is “one of [his] favorite groups” he has coached over the years. He said they “always show up to play,” and it “has been a joy to coach all of them.”

Coaches play a role in any athlete’s performance, but at the matches, it is the players who shine brightest. At their first match at Rum Pointe, the golf team wiped out the competition with an overall score of of 161, Kohut being the medalist of the match.

Later that same week, Decatur put together another solid performance with an overall score of 165. This time, Oglesby led the charge with a score of 38, earning himself the medal.

Overall, the golf team has shown up and played their hearts out every match. Coach Stearman as sculpted a team of great athletes who are now on their way to states to take a swing at another title at the state level.