Cody Hasekamp hopes his second season as Montgomery County golf coach this spring will be as successful as his first.

The Wildcats return six players from last year’s team that won 24 matches, placed second in the Eastern Missouri Conference tournament and had a state qualifier. Seniors Robby Rodgers, Maddox James and Cade Smith, junior Kinsley Hutcheson and sophomores Wyatt March and Karter Reagan are the returning golfers.

“We have a shot to be in the running for taking a team out of districts to state,” Hasekamp said.

MCHS lost six players to graduation, including Keaton Reagan, who won the individual championship of the EMO tournament and placed 25th in the Class 2 state tournament.

The Wildcats began their 2024 season on March 19 with a second-place finish in a quadrangular match that included Van-Far, North Callaway and Mexico at Wildcat Golf Course. Van-Far won the match with 176, followed by the Wildcats with 182, Mexico with 191 and North Callaway with 196.

March led the Wildcats with a nine-player score of 42, followed by Rodgers and James with 46 apiece, Reagan a 48 and Smith a 53.

“In a year when we lost an all-conference medalist and state qualifier in Keaton Reagan, we didn’t immediately replace that,” Hasekamp said. “But I thought I saw a lot of good things. I saw a lot of things that we can improve on. I already know what things we want to try to get better at in practice and in the coming weeks. I was pretty pleased with the effort, especially my top three kids, Robby, Maddox and Wyatt. They played pretty well.”

Rodgers is back after having a solid junior season that included a sixth-place finish at the EMO tournament and a co-medalist effort in a five-team match against Clopton, Mexico, North Callaway and Van-Far.
The seniors had a combined four pars in the season-opening match. Hasekamp said he is optimistic that Rodgers, Smith and James will continue to show improvement for the rest of the season.

“I know that after talking with all three of those boys, there were a lot of things that they were frustrated with,” Hasekamp said. “I’m just hoping they just really see this as an opportunity to get a little better. Ultimately, we’re just trying to get one percent better every day.”

Hasekamp has high hopes for March and Reagan. March shot three pars and a birdie and Reagan fired two pars in the season opener.

“I’ve got a pair that will be staples of the Wildcat golf lineup for the next three years,” Hasekamp said.

The Wildcats were scheduled to compete in another home match on March 25 at Wildcat Golf Course. They have a road match against Van-Far on March 28.

MCHS added a triangular match at Hermann on April 11, the Hannibal Tournament on April 12 and Missouri Military Academy Invitational to its schedule.

“We beefed up the schedule,” said Hasekamp, who replaced Robert Ripperdan as coach last year. “So when we get to district time, these kids will be ready to compete at a high level.”