by Frank Aceto
Associate Sports Editor
Less than 10 years ago, the Streetsboro boys golf team did not have a single player qualify for district play.
The Rockets have had four since then. And this time, Streetsboro had two reach the district round for the first time in school history.
Unfortunately, senior Anthony Edwards and freshman Brandon Manhard will not be the Rockets' first state qualifiers after posting scores of 96 and 99, respectively, at Division II district play Oct. 1 at Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna.
Minerva won the competition with a 313. Other qualifying schools were Hunting Valley University (317), Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (322) and Chagrin Falls (323).
Edwards and Manhard joined Streetsboro graduates Elijah Jackson and John Weingart as the only Rockets to reach district competition.
"It's a great achievement," said Streetsboro seventh-year head coach Bruce Thomas. "This is the first time I can remember we've had two make it this far. It was nice to have a senior and a freshman."
Edwards qualified for district play when he scored a bogey on a playoff hole during sectionals Sept. 27 at Fowler's Mill Golf Course in Chesterland.
Edwards, who shot an 82, was in a three-way tie with Manhard and a player from Wickliffe.
"Three kids were playing for two spots, so we knew at least one of our guys was going to qualify," Thomas said.
The Wickliffe player also scored a bogey, but Manhard scored a double bogey and was eliminated.
A few days later, however, Manhard got some stunning news.
"We got a call and said that the player from [Chardon] Notre Dame Cathedral Latin could not play, so Brandon got to play," Thomas said. "I've never seen that happen. It was nice, though. He played well to get there."
Manhard, however, didn't get much time to practice for districts. And the conditions, which included lots of rain and colder temperatures, didn't help the players, either. Windmill Lakes also is a more difficult course than Fowler's Mill, according to Thomas.
But the coach is pleased to have two players reach this destination.
Maybe they will have some company next year.
Streetsboro finished sixth in sectional play "just 11 shots short of the fourth-place team. The Rockets finished fifth at the Portage Trail Conference County Division Meet.
"We played really well at sectionals," Thomas said. "If we played like we did at sectionals at the PTC, we would have finished maybe second or third."
Adam Borlie also is a senior on the team. Some of the other key players include Dan Kopcak, who led the squad in scoring average during the year, David Tackett and Mike Melice.
Kopcak earned All-PTC County honors and Edwards made the second team. Tackett and Melice received honorable mention.
"We have nine freshmen, too," Thomas said. "Our goal is to keep these kids together for four years. Our JV [junior varsity] team, led by Tim Foster, got so much better during the course of the year."
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