Edwardsburg wins 10th straight jamboree

Published 7:31 am Wednesday, April 17, 2019

EDWARDSBURG — The ground was covered with snow Sunday evening, but the grounds crew at Four Lakes Country Club rose to the challenge of getting the course prepped so that Edwardsburg could host the Wolverine Conference Jamboree Monday afternoon.

“Four Lakes Country Club did a heck of job setting up the course for our jamboree,” said Edwardsburg coach Jeff Kozinski. “The conditions were pretty tough.”

The Eddies won their 10th consecutive Wolverine Conference jamboree as they shot a 169, led by Satchel Pierce and Brayden Bell, who shared medalist honors with rounds of 41.

Allegan was the runner-up at Four Lakes with a 184, while South Haven finished third with a 194.

Dowagiac placed fifth with a 198.

“I was proud of my players for defending our home turf,” Kozinski said. “We play in a tough conference, so the guys have to take advantage of playing at home. I texted the guys last night after the big win and told them to enjoy it for 24 hours. And then we will get back to work focusing on the next match.”

The next match is a scheduled conference doubleheader at Lake Doster hosted by Plainwell and Otsego today. Weather, however, may play a factor in whether or not the teams play 18 holes.

The defending conference champions, the Eddies have dominated the league the past 10 jamborees.

“We have always focused on team goals in the program,” Kozinski said. “Our team has done a great job of pushing each other to get better. We have had over 40 players in the program each year for many years. The players understand that it takes a great deal of commitment and dedication to be able to play varsity at Edwardsburg.”

Kozinski also credits Four Lakes Country Club and the Edwardsburg Public Schools staff for their support.

“Four Lakes Country Club has done an excellent job of supporting junior golf year-round and that helps a great deal,” he said. “Our maintenance staff at the high school has also helped by setting up indoor practice facilities for our players. Many players will hit in doors right after the football season is over. Again, they know it takes hard work to compete at a high level.”

Dowagiac played with its full line up for the first time this season as Drew Davis returned after missing the first two jamborees with a bad back.

Chieftain coach Bob Turner enjoyed having Davis back in the lineup, but knows his team is a long way from a finished product.

“We still have some work to do,” he said. “We are not consistent enough and we are not as confident as we should be. We did move up and finish fifth. Last week we were sixth and seventh, and we dropped back down from a score of 218 to 198 last night, but we lost focus on too many shots. We are not in horrible shape, but we need to keep getting better, and I think we will.”

Matt Mosier shot 46 to lead Dowagiac. Davis shot 52 in his first action of the season.