Wade to lead Hounds boys

BETTER PRESEASON

I texted these guys in a group chat after looking at scorecards and told them we shot 171 and on average last year we shot 182 to 185 so this is considerably better than what we could do last year. If that continues we could be very competitive.”

Wayne Maclearn, FMHS boys golf coach

FORT MADISON – The Bloodhounds will be relying on a familiar name to pull the Hounds cart around the area golf courses this year.
Brady Wade, the brother of Tyler and Tommy Wade, who both were Nos.1 for the Fort Madison boys golf team, will be looked to carry the Hounds this season.
Head Coach Wayne Maclearn said Wade has the potential to be a medalist for the Bloodhounds as the golf season gets fired up this week.
“He has the game to do it,” Maclearn said.
“Bobby Jones used to say that golf is played on five and half inches. The space between your ears. If he gets that space corrected, he has the talent to medal.”
The Hounds will also rely on Cade Denning at No. 2 and 3-sport athlete Cole Quittem at No. 3. Senior Oliver Santiago who splits time with soccer along with Quittem, will likely have the No. 4 spot. Typical high school scoring compiles the top four scorers on each team. Rowan Benda will take the No. 5 spot to begin the season.
Spring sport athletes typically can play several sports but have to declare the top priority. Quittem has declared golf as his No. 1 sport in the spring, Maclearn said. Benda plays tennis and golf. No golfers this year are running with the track team.
A preseason intra-team qualifier last week showed Maclearn the Hounds have some potential. A cold and windy front nine at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course produced a team score that was 10 shots better than last season’s more experienced team.
“It was pretty cold and windy and the inexperienced kids didn’t do well, but Brady with a double bogey on hole six shot a 41, Denning shot a 43. Santiago and Quittem each shot a 44 and Benda had a 48,” he said.
“You take the top four scores and that, from the qualifier, was 171. That is 10 to 12 strokes better than what we did last year, and I had a senior class last year. I texted these guys in a group chat after looking at scorecards and told them we shot 171 and on average last year we shot 182 to 185, so this is considerably better than what we could do last year. If that continues we could be very competitive.”
He said Brady may have the most potential of all three of the Wade boys. He said his ambition is there, it’s a matter of having the right frame of mind.
“Brady said, ‘I want to do that coach. I want to do that several times this year – shoot in the 70s’, and I told him that’s the right attitude,” Maclearn said.
The Hounds open play Thursday at Elks Golf Club in Keokuk.