The success of the 2012 Huntley High School boys golf team was predicted from the third day of practice.  Coaches Jim Rolando and Marty Manning sat upstairs at Crystal Woods Golf Club and talked with the varsity team about how their successes so far did not mean a thing in the upcoming season.  They needed to commit everything to this season in order to become successful.  And that is just what they did.

The Red Raiders had five tournament championships, a 10-2 overall record, a 4-2 record in the Valley division, a conference championship for the second year in a row, and a state qualifier.   These successes were not just about one or two players; it was a whole team effort.

“It was a really good season,” said senior Ryan Craig. “We were very successful, and that made the season really fun.”

While the team won five tournaments throughout the season, they also placed second in two other tournaments, giving them the preparation needed to be successful in the Fox Valley Conference Tournament.

Huntley High School also hosted the Fox Valley Conference Tournament at Crystal Woods Golf Club.  The Red Raiders were expected to win the tournament going into it due to the horrible playing conditions.

“There was a lot of pressure going into the day,” said Rolando.  “It was fantastic that we were able to pull out a win.”

Craig also won the conference tournament individually with a score of two under par.

The team will lose seniors Craig, AJ Fanselow, Garrett Chmiola, and Nick Bonich going into next season.

“I was extremely proud of Nick,” said Rolando. “He made the biggest improvements over the summer and he will definitely be missed next year.”

With the losses of the seniors, the underclassmen will have to step up in order to take their place.

“Next year we have to go one more step and hopefully qualify for state as a team,” said Rolando. “State is a long term goal, but we now know we can play at that level.”