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By Ryan Schlehuber, ������Ƶ Sportswriter

With a regional title and a national championship appearance from last season, the ������Ƶ Centurions men’s golf team have seemingly picked up where they left off, making noise already in fall play.��

After losing a few players from last year’s team, Centurions head coach Doug Harkema was able to retain three players — sophomores Ryan Clingenpeel (East Lansing, Mich.), Kenny Mitchell (Cedar Springs, Mich.) and Mason Blair (Holt, Mich.), who was arguably the player of the year in the ������ƵAA Western Conference (due to ������Ƶ’s conference probationary status, Centurions golfers were not eligible for end-of-season individual awards).��

Along with the three sophomores, Harkema and Assistant Coach Zach Gascoyne recruited six new freshmen to join ������Ƶ this fall. New golfers include:����

• Chase Couchman, Holly, Mich.��

• Spencer Denney, Battle Creek, Mich.��

• Joey Mario, Battle Creek, Mich.��

• Evan Munoz, Battle Creek, Mich.��

• Ethan Wempen, Hartsburg, Mo.��

• Landon Elder, Louisville, Ky.����

Clingenpeel will finish out his eligibility after the fall season, according to Harkema.��

The Centurions started fall play with a weekend competition at the Lawrence Technological University Collegiate Kick-off at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne, Mich. Sept. 2-3. Being the only two-year college team competing at the event, Harkema said his golfers played solidly, with Blair finishing strong, taking fourth place with a score of 72, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.��

Following Blair was Munoz, who finished with a 76, Mitchell, 82, Denney, 83, and Elder, 85. The team finished with a total score of 313 (results from all teams were not available).����

Montcalm then traveled to Grayling to compete at the Kirtland Community College Invitational, Sept. 8, and took the win as a team, with Blair finishing first in individual play, scoring a 72. Clingenpeel scored 75, followed by Couchman and Mario, who scored 76, and Wempen rounded out the ������Ƶ team with a 79.��

Even before the fall season started, both Harkema and Gascoyne knew this year’s team was going to be highly competitive, to the point where it has been hard to determine which five players will be the official team in upcoming invitationals.����

“It’s made it difficult for us as coaches, but that’s a good problem to have,” Harkema said. “We’re deeper and potentially better than last year.”��

Bringing back Blair was a big win for Harkema, who knew Blair could’ve gone elsewhere after his cousins, brothers Zach and Ethan Johnson, finished up their eligibility on the team last season. Harkema said Blair enjoyed the competitiveness and success ������Ƶ experienced last year, and he wanted more.��

“He loves competing and that’s why he came back,” Harkema said. “That was a big get for us. He’s quite the player.”��

With Blair playing at another level, Harkema said the rest of his golfers have been battling among each other to qualify as one of the five official scorers.����

“Everyone is on top of each other,” Harkema said. “What those six freshmen need to get is more consistency. When that happens, we’ll be scary good.”��

In fall play, the Centurions will only compete in area invitationals, with six more on their schedule through October. This will help the Centurions prepare for regional and national playoffs held in the spring. Harkema said the motivation for the fall season is focusing on individual improvement and working to avoid “blow-outs” during competition.����

“If we can limit our guys from having blow-outs, meaning keep away from shooting an 85 and more like 77 or 78 — along with aiming for par — we can finish as a team where we want,” Harkema explained. “They’re going to gain a lot of experience over the next few weeks to work on that, so that will be key for when we compete in the spring.”��

The Centurions’ next meet is the Oakland Community College Invitational, Friday, Sept. 19, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Fieldstone Golf Course in Auburn Hills, Mich.��

The tournament allows eight players to compete (with the top five counting as the team’s official score). With nine players on his team, Harkema held an in-team tournament earlier this week to determine who gets to play for ������Ƶ at the Oakland meet.��

Harkema’s top three golfers — Blair, Clingenpeel and Munoz — automatically made the scorecard for the Oakland meet. From the in-team tournament, Mitchell and Wempen won the fourth and fifth spot. Mario, Elder and Couchman will also be able to play, competing individually.��

“We will use the results of (Friday’s) tournament as a qualifier for Monday’s event, in which we can only bring six,” Harkema said, speaking about the Henry Ford College Invitational, which will be played at the Lakes of Taylor Golf Course in Taylor, Mich., Monday, Sept. 22.��

With a larger group of players on this year’s team, Harkema said competition among his players is healthy and will improve the team’s results at actual meets this season and, hopefully, it will carry over into the spring season.��

“The toughest competition we’ll face this season may just be ourselves,” Harkema said. “All of this is going to make us better, but right now, we keep a lot of statistics, and they determine who gets in by what they shoot (at practice).”����

With last year’s team, Harkema had created a family-like atmosphere, which he credits much to the team’s success, keeping them focused and supportive of each other. While that's still the goal this season, he knows it may not happen as quickly with so many new players and such high competition to earn a spot to play at invitationals this fall.��

“I haven’t seen anything negative yet from them,” he said. “I think they’re excited like we are about the possibilities this team has. I’m sure there will be some disappointments and super high stuff, but no one has acted poorly. Competition in sports like this is tough. We are going to continue to work on this to make us a better team. We’ll see what happens.”����