AHS girls golfing A Team readies for Region

By TED DUNNAM
Assistant Sports Editor

Andrea, Allie, Angela, Aron and Anderson.

When the job needs to get done, leave it to The A Team.

Abilene High's fearsome fivesome of Andrea Gault, Allie Curry, Angela Armstrong, Aron Herman and Shanna Anderson have carved their own niche this year in Lady Eagle golf history.

They hope to further their accomplishments Monday and Tuesday when the Lady Eagles compete in the Region I-5A golf tournament at the Reese Air Force Base golf course in Lubbock.
With the exception of Gault, a senior, the all-junior team will try to carry on a tradition of strong performances by District 4-5A representatives at the regional tournament.

"I think we'll go to state - I don't know if anybody else thinks so," Herman said. "Since everyone's started getting along, we've been playing better.

"We used to not be that close. Now, we've sort of bonded and that's been a big part of our success."
The Lady Eagles held off Midland High and Midland Lee for the runner-up spot in the final round of district play. Now, another second-place finish would be more than satisfactory at the regional tourney.

What makes Abilene High a formidable team is that all five players can shoot in the 80s and all are relatively close in talent. There is no pressure for one or two players to carry the load.

"We all have our off and on days," Gault said. "But when one of us does have a bad day, there's always someone else to pick us up. We can all shoot pretty good scores, but we're each comfortable with the position we play in.

"Allie is a good No. 1 player because she handles pressure well. I crumble under pressure."
Gault agrees with Herman that the players didn't always get along with each other. As the senior member of the group, she had to provide some leadership.

"There haven't been any fights this year," Gault said with a laugh. "We used to have these little arguments over stupid stuff, like someone not putting out on a green in a practice round. It was dumb stuff like that. I think we've just matured."

Anderson knew the team had potential three years ago to make it to the regional tournament.
"We knew we had a good shot at winning district this year," she said. "We've all been together for three years. But we're not just satisfied with making it this far. We're not just happy getting to region - we'd like to play as well as we can."

The team's best score this year is a 342 which would translate into an average score of 85.5 per golfer. All are capable of posting an 85 or better.

"We're playing pretty well, but I don't think we're playing up to our capability," Armstrong said. "I wasn't really worried about us not getting out of district. We felt confident going into the last round.
"I think we've already beat a lot of odds. A lot of people didn't think we'd get out of district. Now, we're just going to go to regional and do our best."

Curry usually posts the lowest scores of the quintet. Her final three rounds at district were 89-82-83. However, it doesn't slack off much from there. Armstrong had a pair of 88s, Anderson had an 84 and an 86, Herman had an 86 and a 91, and Gault posted a final-round 88 when AHS needed it most.

"I don't feel like I'm the No. 1 player on the team," Curry said. "I tee off last and play with the No. 1 players, but everyone is important to the team. If I'm having a bad day, I know the other four players are capable of picking up the slack.

"Our scores are all real, real close. It's nice to know that there's not a lot of pressure on me. I think we've got a good shot at region because we've beaten several teams there in other tournaments."
Head coach Russell Ellison is pleased with the way the team has evolved.

"When we started the year, I thought we had an outside chance at getting to region," he said. "Right now, I believe anything is possible. San Angelo Central has a very good team, but we've beaten them one round this year.

"On a neutral course, anything can happen. I think we can play as well as anybody."
Ellison echoes the sentiments of his players that bonding has been the key.

"Getting a group that is truly unified has been the most important thing," he said. "We've finally gotten away from the mentality that 'I want to beat somebody on my team.' The girls are supportive of one another, and we're playing with a lot less tension.

"They're playing golf one shot at a time. The girls have really bonded and are playing good golf."