PLEASANT HILL – Five members of the Pleasant Hill Billies boys basketball team went from making a state playoff run on the hardwood to now doing it on the greens. The Billies boys golf team qualified for state this year in only the second year of the program.
Chase Vargas, Jacob Neely, and the three Melvin brothers – Landen, Logan, and Luke – make up the starting five of the varsity golf squad.
The Billies were first in their district and third in the state at the Class 3A-and-below level, for much of the season. The boys ran into a difficult course at districts, and finished third, but still qualified for the state tournament at Tokatee golf course in McKenzie Bridge, Ore.
Coming into the season, Billies coach Mitchell Gerber didn’t have high expectations, given only four athletes showed up in his first year. This year, the Billies have 13: five varsity players and eight at the junior varsity level.
“Honestly, I didn’t even really think about state until about three quarters of the way through the season when I realized, you know, we were top three in state,” Gerber said.
The program is new, and many of the Billies athletes are new to the sport. However, their athleticism has allowed for quick progression.
“When you get athletes, even when they’re just picking up the sport, they progress really fast,” Gerber said.
He mentioned Jacob Neely, who picked up a golf club only two months before the season started. Neely shot 113 in the first tournament, and has already improved to the extent that he has shot in the low 80s on multiple occasions, Gerber said.
The future is bright. Gerber’s eight JV players have all improved by about 20 strokes during this season, he said.
“All the kids that are playing are having a lot of fun, on top of the success. So I do think there’s going to be, you know, a lot of growth for the future,” Gerber said.
Gerber said that Tokatee sets up better for his players’ strengths than Salishan Golf Links, where the district competition was held, because it is at elevation and one of his team’s strengths is in their ability to drive the ball.
The Billies’ “Fab Five,” led by Vargas as their top option, will compete at the state tournament this week. The Billies sit in 10th after the opening round, but there is little separation between 3rd place and 10th. A top-five finish in year two of the program is the goal.
