Boys golf: Party crashers

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - There are no country club members or players who

picked up up a sawed-off golf club at the age of five on Costa Mesa

High’s boys golf team. But make no mistakes about it, the Mustangs are

good this year.

“This is probably the best team I ever had,” Costa Mesa Coach Tom Baldwin

said.

Mesa finished fifth in the Pacific Coast League last year, but it is

returning key players from that team. And the Mustangs’ talent level

skyrocketed with the addition of three newcomers.

Senior Jeff Montoya could be considered Mesa’s most important golfer.

Montoya is entering his third year on Mesa’s varsity squad, and he

finished sixth in the Southern California Regionals last year.

“He’s a real good player, real solid,” Baldwin said. He’s our team

leader.”

The other two returnees for Mesa are junior Luther Mitchell and sophomore

Bryce Sheridan. Both have improved tremendously from last season,

according to Baldwin.

To this mix, the three Mesa newcomers, two transfers and a foreign

exchange student, have really turned the Mustangs’ fortunes around.

Senior Lou Carrasco is a transfer from Woodbridge and the grandson of

Senior Professional Golfers’ Association member Ray Carrasco. The younger

Carrasco boasts a 34 round in a half-match this season.

Sophomore Nue Kahele is a transfer from Hawaii and came to Mesa with

experience and accomplished golf skills. Senior Joakim Rising also

crossed an ocean to bring his solid golf game to Mesa. He is a foreign

exchange student from Sweden.

Sophomore Billy Lund rounds out the Mustangs’ roster. He played on the

junior varsity last year and earned a spot on the varsity in only his

second year.

With an unprecedented number of solid golfers at Mesa this year, it is

understandable that the Mustangs are excited about their chances. And

that includes their chances against the top two dogs of the PCL,

University and Corona del Mar.

“We’re good, but I don’t know if we’re that good,” Baldwin said. “We

don’t have country club kids or kids who picked up golf at the age of

five or six like Uni or CdM. We just have kids that came out for golf.”

But it doesn’t mean Mesa is outclassed by the Trojans and Sea Kings.

“We’re capable of winning league,” Baldwin said. “Uni’s the top team, and

CdM had 42 kids try out. We only had eight or nine. But we can beat them

and we’re definitely capable of winning.”

Roster

Lou Carrasco Sr.

Nue Kahele So.

Billy Lund So.

Luther Mitchell Jr.

Jeff Montoya Sr.

Joakim Rising Sr.

Bryce Sheridan So.

Coach: Tom Baldwin