Like any high school girl, homecoming weekend is a big occasion, getting dressed up and having an enjoyable time at the dance.

Shelly Ford is a typical high school girl, eager to make the most of homecoming in her junior year at Jefferson High School a special occasion this weekend.

But don’t blame Ford if her attention is a little bit divided this week, because she has another big date along with her big night Saturday with Brian Rosenberg.

The other matter catching her attention is equally big, because Ford will be spending today and the early portion of Saturday in Columbus at the Division II girls golf tournament at Ohio State University’s Gray Course. She will have to race back to Jefferson after she completes her round Saturday to get ready for the dance that night.

Ford has known since before school started that the dates of the state tournament and homecoming would conflict, and she and Rosenberg have already talked the issue through.

“He understands,” she said.

Making the trip to the state tournament is a quest that started when she was not much bigger than the clubs, and it become a passion over the past five years and has finally become a reality.

The journey reaches its destination today at 9:40 a.m. when the Falcon junior tees off in the first round of the Division II state tournament at Ohio State University’s Gray Course. She will complete the 36 holes of state competition sometime Saturday afternoon.

Ford and first-year Jefferson coach Sara Dean headed to Columbus on Thursday to give her enough time to get in a practice round. That will be very important since she is totally unfamiliar with the course.

“You’re only allowed to play one ball, but you can be sure I’m going to be taking some really good notes about the course,” Ford said. “I’ve never played the course before. My dad did about 30 years ago, but I’m not sure how helpful that will be because I’m sure it’s been changed a lot.”

The trip to Columbus figures to be a joy ride after all the hard work that has gone into helping Ford achieve her mission.

“It’s been a long road to get there,” the daughter of Jeff and Mary Ford of Ashtabula said. “I’ve been working for this since I was in the seventh grade and found out Jefferson had a high school team.

“It’s really been something to find out how elite those athletes are. It’s an awesome feeling to realize I’m going to be there. I’ve been going over it in my head, imagining how it would be for a long time. The realization of knowing how it is to actually be there is even better than what I imagined.”

The week since she learned she had made the grade for state with her 81 in the district tournament at Canton’s Tam-O-Shanter Golf Course. The experience has left Ford with a smile virtually plastered on her face.

“Everyone has been so supportive,” Ford said. “My family and friends are definitely excited. So many people at school have been coming up and congratulating me. It’s been so cool.”

But nothing could top the feeling Ford had immediately after learning she had qualified and in the 18 hours or so thereafter.

“(Last) Wednesday would be pretty hard to top,” the 16-year-old said. “It was awesome. Wednesday was probably the biggest day of my life.

“It was really something the next morning when I woke up. I had to check and make sure it really did happen.”

In many ways, it seems getting to this point was almost a matter of fate for Ford, starting with the family home is adjacent, which is adjacent to what is now the Harbor Golf Club.

“We live basically right across the street from the golf course,” she said. “It was probably my dad’s intention all along for this to happen. He took me over to the course probably when I was about 7. I’d go over there and hit balls. My dad was probably my first teacher.”

But attacking the sport in earnest came in junior high.

“I really started working seriously on my game in seventh grade,” Ford said. “Then I started taking lessons from (former Ashtabula and Edgewood boys coach) Tom Carr. I probably worked with him for parts of two years.”

She switched teachers once she entered high school.

“Since my freshman year, I’ve been working with Dave Smith over in Erie,” Ford said. “He has his own driving range over in Fairview. He’s probably been the main one to mold me.

“He’s taken my game to a whole new level. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Ford believes the best parts of her game are from tee to green.

“My distance off the tee is probably the strongest part of my game,” she said. “I probably average about 230 (yards) off the tee. If I really hit it well, I might get out to 250 or 260.

“I think I’m pretty good with my longer irons and I’m comfortable with up to about a five-wood. I’m confident I can get a five-wood on the green.”

There are still areas in her game that Ford has been trying to address, however.

“I think my short game has really improved this year,” she said. “It’s always been my downfall in the past. I knew I had to work harder on it this year.”

For that, she credits former Jefferson coach Scott Treen, for whom she played the last two years. He has continued to work with the Falcon girls from a spot in the background.

“Coach Treen has been a huge influence on me, especially this past summer,” she said. “I took a lot of what he showed me with the short game. What I’ve done with my short game is kind of a combination of what he and Coach Smith have taught me. He’s always been there for me and has been so supportive.

Dean also comes in for her share of praise from the golfer, having provided the role of trusted confidante.

“Coach Dean has been such a support,” Ford said. “Anything I’ve needed, she’s been there.”

That is the way Dean sees her contribution this year. She admits she has been blessed to work with a golfer with Ford’s gifts.

“Shelly is every coach’s dream,” she said. “She’s a phenomenal player and phenomenal person.

“She’s very self-motivated. She had her own goals and she worked extremely hard to reach them.”

Realizing she was working with a talented athlete, Dean wasn’t going to do anything to mess it up.

“My goal was to make sure she was grouped with girls who complemented her,” Dean said. “I wanted her to play with girls who were of a similar frame of mind, who tended to take a businesslike approach to the game.”

Basically, Dean just tried to be there for Ford and the rest of the Falcons as they drove to a sixth straight Northeastern Conference title.

“I wanted to be the person they felt all could come to,” she said. “As far as golf is concerned, Shelly is way beyond me. I just tried to be there for her, even if it meant just getting her a soda if she wanted it. I wanted her to feel I was her go-to person for anything.”

Dean was also open to having Treen come in and work with the Falcons, even if only in the background.

“Scott comes out and helps me and the whole team,” she said. “He’s been such a help to all the girls.”

Perhaps the thing that has been even more important to Ford than the physical aspects of her game has been the game between her ears.

“Mentally, I think I’ve progressed a lot from last year,” she said. “I think I’m more mature this year. I think I’ve been making a lot less mistakes this year.”

Mental toughness is going to be a key this week, just as it was under tough weather conditions at Tam-O-Shanter. The Gray Course will be a great test, too, with an even better caliber of golfer to be encountered.

“I want to try and keep my swing loose and intact,” Ford said. “I’ve been working on my putting and the short game.

“I know I have the game to compete at this level. The thing that separates everyone is their degree of mental toughness. I need to try and play within myself, try not to overthink things, forget the last hole, whether it was bad or good, and concentrate on just taking it one shot at a time.”

She learned a lot just from observing her competitors at the district tournament.

“There were a lot of great golfers there,” Ford said. “There was a girl from Walsh Jesuit that I couldn’t believe how she could scramble.”

Now that she’s achieved her dream, Ford wants to keep building on it.

“It would be great to make it into the top five individually,” she said. “I don’t want to set my goals too high, but if I made it, it would be pretty awesome.

“I know I need to stay in the fairway and sink the putts when I really need them. I need to be able to stay in the short grass, hit the greens and sink the putts.”

Dean has goals for Ford, too, although less tangible ones.

“I’d like to just see Shelly play good, solid golf,” she said. “I hope the practice round on Thursday gives her the information she needs. I don’t want her to leave the tournament with any regrets.”

Ford is assured of having plenty of support systems with her on the Gray Course, not just from her parents.

“My younger brother, Kevin, will be there, too,” she said of the 15-year-old freshman at Jefferson. “My uncle and aunt and my cousin who live down in the Columbus area will be there, too.”

Dean promises to be there every step of the way, too.

“I’m going to walk all 18 holes and cheer her on,” she said.

All of which already has Ford equipped with dancing spirits.

“I’m so grateful for all the support,” she said. “I was even willing to sacrifice homecoming. I just think it’s going to be a fantastic weekend.”