Palmetto’s boy’s golf team finished their past season with a dissatisfying close at the state tournament, placing fifteenth out of sixteen schools.

However upsetting, this team managed to pull it together, hoping to vindicate their unimpressive efforts from last season. The team boasts eight seniors, including captain Ryan Carter, who hopes for the opportunity to make his third run at the state championship.

“We’re hoping to win both regional and district championships, and post good numbers at states,” Carter said.

Carter has played under Coach Klekotka ever since freshman year. When asked about his expectations for this year’s team, Klekotka replied, “I have a good group of guys.  It is just a matter of how we can finish.”

The team hopes to perform well in some key match-ups coming up.

On October 6, the team faces Coral Reef High School and then plays Columbus/Varela the following day. Columbus was ranked as the district’s best team in the Miami Herald prior to the start of the season.

Palmetto’s team also features juniors George Leone and Nick Waddell.  Leone hopes the team can reach the state tournament again and is working hard to make sure he is one of the five players selected to play.  Klekotka chose Leone last year and expects to choose him again this year, as the coach believes that Leone is “in store for a breakthrough year.”

Waddell, on the other hand, did not go to the state tournament last year, but has been practicing religiously, hoping to be asked as one of the five. His scoring average is now the third best on the team, averaging 39.5 strokes for every nine holes of golf.  He expects to do “big things” for this team, a team fighting to win the state championship once and for all.