Plainesmen off to strong start

Belle Plaine golf coach Brad Allen has a unique issue.

Sometimes he can't get his team to put down the clubs and walk away from the sport they love.

“I can't get them off the course half the time,” Allen said with a laugh. “We'll get done with practice and they all load up and play another nine, 10, 11 holes until it is dark most nights”

All that time has helped the Plainesmen to a strong start and an ascension to the top of the Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association's opening Class 1A team rankings.

Belle Plaine owns a 14-0 record in competition. The undefeated start is a product of the team's devotion to golf. A couple hours of practice isn't enough to satisfy the Plainesmen. They regularly play until daylight expires.

“Practice isn't the end to our day of golf,” Belle Plaine senior Mitch Jacobi said. “We'll be out there all day afterward.

“We love to play golf. It definitely helps out.”

The desire extends beyond the couple months of the varsity season. Allen said his players have been able to hit the ground running because their offseason work, which is key to keep their swing form.

“They play all summer,” Allen said. “ They hit a lot of rounds through a year.”

A strong start is a surprise to Allen, but the scoring is even lower than expected, opening with a 157 and improving from there. Belle Plaine owns an adjusted team average of 166.04, which has dropped by 1.06 since the rankings were released. Jacobi, which was as high as second trailing only Lisbon's Tyler Gunderson, owns a 39.12 9-hole adjusted average. Scott Thenhaus and Logan Bubarek have an adjusted score of just more than 41. Caleb Parr comes in at just under 45 for the Plainesmen.

Allen praised Thenhaus and Bubarek, noting that Thenhaus is another senior leader and that Bubarek has become a very strong player for Belle Plaine. Jacobi remains the top golfer for the Plainesmen. He has been a key asset to Allen, who is in his second year as head coach.

“He's playing really well this year,” Allen said about Jacobi. “I kind of lean on him a little bit because he helps some of the younger guys.”

Jacobi embraced the leadership role last year as a junior on a team without any seniors.

"He stepped up in that role early," Allen said. "He's been a great influence to younger players.”

The team has a strong camaraderie, contributing to the fun atmosphere that surrounds the team during practice, competition and away from the course. Jacobi said the team likes to go out to eat after meets and they might even create team cowboy hats to wear by the end of the season.

“The top six will wear them,” Jacobi said with a laugh. "We get along pretty well."

A bitter ending to last season motivates Belle Plaine to reach the state tournament this season. A tough sectional draw matched them against two of the top teams in 1A, and they failed to advance. The goal is to compete in the season's final tournament.

“Me and another golfer have been playing four years. This is our senior year,” Jacobi said of Thenhaus. “This is the year to do it. We all know it. State is our goal.”