The562’s coverage of Long Beach golf is sponsored by Dan and Desiree Gooch.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
This season is already a seismic shift in Moore League boys’ golf.
Earlier this month, Millikan beat Wilson at El Dorado Park Golf Course 197-205 to hand the Bruins their first league defeat in 19 seasons.
On Thursday, the Rams can repeat the feat at Recreation Park Golf Course and clinch its first league title in almost two decades. Wilson can earn a league co-championship with a win on its home course after Millikan used its home-course advantage at El Dorado.
“Going into my freshman year I knew the assignment was to take down Wilson,” Millikan senior Zach Wood said. “I wanted to be a part of breaking (that league winning streak) so it definitely was a big deal. Wilson always has great players, great competitors and good guys. It’s always a really good match against them. There’s been (close matches) and that’s only fueled our determination.”
Millikan and Wilson played their first match during strong winds with over 20 MPH guests. That also ended up playing to the Rams advantage at El Dorado.
“We know every spot we can miss and have a chance at saving the hole,” Millikan sophomore Tyler Carmichael. “Especially with the wind we knew what side to play safer on.”
“I really did play a huge factor,” Wood said of the wind. “You’d be hitting a 150-yard shot but you’d have to treat it like a 180-yard shot. It was one of those days for a three quarter knock down shot. I didn’t really pull out the driver too much. It was about keeping it low in the fairway and having a good approach shot in and hopefully one putting and getting out of there.”
“It was definitely nerve wracking, I’m not gonna lie,” Wood added. “Halfway through we were down and then home court advantage kind of kicked in. I was playing in the first group and watched my teammates finish. We kind of kept to ourselves and gave everyone their space to be focused until the very end of it.”
Millikan has been very close to beating Wilson the last few seasons, and Millikan coach Robert Tomlin thinks that concentrating on themselves and using certain shots proved to be the difference.
“We work on that stuff on the range with punch shots, and at El Dorado with no wind they need that shot when they get under the trees, so it comes in handy,” Tomlin said.
Wood, Tyler Carmichael, Daniel Anderson and Alex Coakley all shot rounds of 39. Wood also wanted to make sure to shout out the hard work of newcomers like Anderson who came from the baseball team.
If Millikan wants to finish the season with a win and take the league title for itself, those Rams will have to be at their game on Thursday at Recreation Park where Wilson wants some revenge and a share of the championship spoils.
