By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
Sports fans won't have to travel very far to take in the Michigan High School Athletic Association post-season this fall.
Dowagiac Union High School is playing host for several MHSAA post season tournaments this school year including Friday's Division III golf regional at Hampshire Country Club.
The tournament, which features teams from Battle Creek Pennfield, Berrien Springs, Bronson, Buchanan, Coloma, Constantine, Delton-Kellogg, Edwardsburg, Hopkins, Kalamazoo Christian, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central, Brandywine, Parchment and Watervliet, is scheduled to tee off at 9:30 a.m.
The Chieftains are no stranger to hosting the regional golf tournament, however, it has been several years since Dowagiac last hosted.
The Chieftains were not originally scheduled to host the event in 2004, however, when the MHSAA was still looking for a site for the Division III tournament, Dowagiac stepped forward and volunteered to run the tournament.
Many of the schools that will be competing on Friday have played Hampshire Country Club more than once.
Many of the schools compete their against either Dowagiac or Edwardsburg, both of whom call Hampshire home.
Several of the other schools have visited Hampshire to play at least one round of golf prior to the tournament.
Dowagiac competed in Division II last year where it finished 14th with a score of 367.
Senior David Maxey led Dowagiac with a round of 78. Ken Scott shot 92 for the Chieftains, who also got a 98 from Craig Schuur and a 99 from Scott Wilkinson.
Schuur will not play for Dowagiac in Friday's regional.
Maxey, who averaged 38 strokes per match this year, returns, along with Wilkinson (43) and Scott (45).
Joining them at the regional will be junior Adam Carlson (45) and freshman Nick Krizinski (43).
Edwardsburg will be represented by Jesse Johnson (40), Ryan Stoneburner (40), Khris Merrill (41), James Hentz (42) and Tanner Leininger (43).
Kalamazoo Christian is slated as the favorite, as the Comets are currently ranked No. 4 in the coaches poll.