As far as boys golf is concerned in the Northeastern Athletic Conference, there’s no question who the team to beat is — the Pymatuning Valley Lakers.
In fact, to the outside observer, it may be perceived that there aren’t even any other teams in the conference besides PV.
Why? Because the Lakers haven’t taken the NAC crown an astounding six-consecutive years.
For some context on how long that really has been, Geneva’s girls golf program (which has reached districts the last two years) didn’t even exist.
President George W. Bush was still in office. Even the Cleveland Browns had winning record in 2007, when the streak began.
For his efforts in leading the Lakers to their sixth-consecutive NAC title, PV coach Jeff Compan is the 2012 Star Beacon Ashtabula County Coach of the Year.
“It’s always an honor,” Compan said. “There’s some really good golf coaches and teams in this county and it’s always rewarding to be recognized. It legitimizes all the hard work you put in.”
As far as the difficulty of repeating as conference champions, Compan said he and his team don’t ever think winning the league is automatic.
“We don’t take them for granted because the league has some good teams,” he said. “Our league was pretty tough this year. Badger was undefeated until we beat them late in the season. It comes and goes in streaks. A few years ago we could’ve been pretty competitive in other leagues outside of ours.
“It just comes and goes the same way it does in all sports.”
It hasn’t been going away from PV in recent years, though.
When Compan took over the Lakers program, PV had some strong seasons, but wasn’t near the perennial power it is now.
Compan said the key to his success has been working with groups of players who work hard.
“I’ve just had good golfers come up, they keep wanting to play, I didn’t have to recruit anyone to come out and play or anything,” he said. “We’ve tried to do a really good job to get kids started young and get them in the summer program. We’ve tried to stem the tide as far as down years are concerned.
“For me, I don’t tinker a lot with swings or those things, I spend my time talking about course management. I talk about how you can make a bogey out of a bad shot, when to be aggressive, when par is OK or bogey is better than something worse.”
The success that PV has found in recent years is particularly important to Compan given the fact that Andover isn’t viewed as a booming golf area.
“This (winning six-straight conference titles) is big, really big for us, especially here at PV, it’s a little different, Grand Valley is in same boat, there’s not a lot of country club kids,” he said. “We’ve got a little nine-hole course and to get these kids to see there’s some life outside of Andover and get them to play in these summer tournaments and get a few off to college is great.
“We’ve taken ownership of the streak and the program, and we’ve had a lot of fun the last couple years.”
Compan said coaching is something he’s always been passionate about after golfing at Baldwin-Wallace College.
“I played college golf, this is something that’s in my blood,” he said. “I don’t have any plans on stopping any time soon. It’s nice because golf isn’t a high-stress sport. I get to hang out with the kids and it keeps you competitive as a coach.”
For any team that thinks next year will be the year they finally knock PV off the mantel of the conference, it won’t be easy.
The Lakers lose just two seniors and Compan will be there to guide the returners.
“It’s nice this year because we have good balance throughout our team,” he said. “We have two seniors, two juniors, a sophomore and three or four freshmen.
“It gives us the balance to maintain some success.”
Peluso is a sports writer for the Star Beacon. Reach him at vpeluso@starbeacon.com.
Sports
Related Photos
-
VINCE PELUSO
Discussion
Six... and counting!
Coach of Year Jeff Compan is the architect of what has become a dominant program at Pymatuning Valley
- Sports
-
-
A Don McCormack column: Frank Hall — the man we know as our hometown hero — thanks to SI, now the world does, too
Sorry, Frank Hall, you’re going to have to get some new material now. But we’ll get to that later.
-
Del Prince, Hickory Grove giving back
As was said in the 2000 film, “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” golf is a game that can’t be won, only played.
-
Brantley leads Indians past Royals in finale
The Indians' offense couldn't do anything in the first four innings. But in the last four, it couldn't be stopped.
-
Give him an Oscar!
For the first three years of his football career with the Grand Valley Mustangs, offensive lineman Alex Oscar said he viewed playing football as more of a job than a fun sport to play.
Then, during his senior year, the Mustangs finished 7-3 and won a Northeastern Athletic Conference title under first-year coach John Glavickas and Oscar suddenly started viewing the game as fun again. -
Goal: Be a Pioneer... literally
Jefferson graduate Ariann Barile doesn’t have plans to rule the world — yet. She has, however, put herself on a path to accomplish that goal if she so decides, by choosing to attend Marietta College and play softball for the Pioneers in the fall.
-
A Don McCormack column: TD Club announces its Class of 2013
Paying a visit to the variety store...
-
Love of the game
Even though Roy Brashear was born two years before James “Farmer” Burns, it was the latter who beat the former in terms of becoming the first man born in the city of Ashtabula to reach the majors.
-
Help wanted...
Loyal Readers, I ask your assistance.
If anyone knows of relatives or information on the following individuals, please contact me at the email address that appears at the end of this brief: -
A Don McCormack column: Blashinsky very much in the game
Dave Blashinsky wears more than one hat, these days.
-
2013 North Coast Road Racing Grand Prix:
n July 4 — Ashtabula YMCA Firecracker 5K, 8:30 a.m., 263 W. Prospect, Ashtabula,
Director: John Bowler 997-5321 - More Sports Headlines
-
