The four-member Falcon High School golf team consisting of Reese Knox, Brayden La Rose, Trevor Wolken, all seniors, and Patrick Glaser, a sophomore, competed at the state tournament in the 4A division held at the Pelican Lakes Golf and Country Club in Windsor on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4. It was the third straight year the Falcon High School golf team was able to send a team to the Colorado state tournament.They were accompanied by Tony Goodman, the teamís head coach, and Wayne Reorda, the assistant head coach. This yearís Falcon team placed seventh overall with a combined score of 467, and Reese Knox, the teamís top player, tied for sixth with only two strokes behind the leader. He also tied for first at this yearís 4A Region 1 tournament.At the annual team dinner held at Maderaís Grill and Cantina at the Antler Creek Golf Course Oct. 25, Goodman introduced the nine members of the junior varsity team to the families and friends in attendance. He then called out the varsity team players one by one and commended them on individual achievements and improvements. He also recognized the contributions and help of many of the parents. ìIt was an outstanding season this year,î Goodman said.The last player introduced was Knox. Goodman said Knox was one of the reasons he chose to accept the head coaching position. After describing Knox as self-motivated, hardworking and an extraordinarily disciplined player, he said, ìReese was kind of the foundation we built from, coming up. Heís been instrumental to the team. The way I coach, Iím more of a disciplinarian and want things done a certain way but when I first started, the program was a little chaotic. We had to change things. Reese was easy because he was already in that kind of mode. He knew why he was competing. He knew what direction he wanted to go.î Goodman appreciates the intangibles as well: îI have never seen a kid that has so much talent, works this hard, roots so much for the other guy and cares so much for his teammates as Reese.îReese Knoxís Falcon High School golf days will soon come to an end, but he plans on pursuing golf in the future. ìI plan on playing golf in college. Iím looking at a few schools, going to take a couple visits. I have a little bit of an idea but do not know where exactly yet,î Knox said. ìI want to play professionally hopefully after college but if that does not work out, I want to have an education to fall back on.î Knox said he wants to study something ìbusiness related.îWhen Knox was just 5 years old, his father, Jason, introduced him to golf. ìMy dad played hockey and during the summers he played golf. He would play here and Wayne (Reorda, also a general manager of Antler Creek Golf Course) suggested he bring me over. I came around and I never left. I fell in love with golf,î Knox said. ìIt takes time to learn the game, but when you are little, you do not have that many distractions. Nine hours on a range would go by just like that.î He said he appreciates the support of all the people who made his success in golf possible. ìWayne is like my second dad. He supported me, let me play and if a member had a problem with me being around here, he would always have my back. It is pretty awesome to have all the people like Wayne and Tony, our coaches, in our lives.îGolf is his passion. ìHighs, lows, I enjoy every minute of it, I love everything about the game of golf. I love competing,î Knox said.While any high school student can join the golf team, Goodman asks that the players take playing on the team and competing seriously. ìAnyone can play golf on the weekends and hang up their clubs in August,î he said. ìI tell my players they need to set goals.î The Falcon golf team practices at the Antler Creek Golf Course several days a week, and they travel to tournaments statewide. Goodman and Reorda teach discipline, etiquette and ethics in addition to the technical aspects of the game of golf. They require academic achievement. ìIf the players get a failing grade, they cannot compete. If they get two F grades in anything, they canít practice,î Goodman said. And he means it. ìI have pulled a varsity player from competition before.îRecalling a special moment during a tournament involving Trevor Wolken, Goodman said to players and parents, ìWinning matters but sometimes sentimental things are what matters most, realizing how much you affected someoneís life. These boys have a real effect on me.î Apparently, the coaches have had an effect on the players. ìFalcon used to be viewed as sort of mediocre, but we are on the map now,î Goodman said. ìOur players are not only competitive, they care about each otherís success. They are really good kids.î
