An end of March outing will open the Wayne High boys golf season with a busy month of April to follow.
Blue Devil boys golf will be under new leadership but with a large amount of interest, will showcase a group willing to take on the challenge.
Derek Jueden will bring his five years of coaching from Plainview entering his first year at the helm for Wayne High boys golf. Coach Jueden said the team has been playing several holes during practice.
“Working on getting more consistent especially this time of the year,” said Jueden. “We have really good holes and then we have a bunch of blow-up holes. We’re just working on trying to keep those single bogeys to a bogey and not exploding them to get to a double or a triple.”
Coach Jueden credits his experience in Plainview after taking over for long-time coach of nearly 40 years being Larry Knaak.
Along with a few volunteers, Bo Armstrong was brought on as an assistant coach being a former Blue Devil boys state golf qualifier.
Among the 16 out, seniors include Colson Nelsen, Brayden Woehler, Jamison Meyer and Jake Barner.
Varsity returners and those who contributed on varsity from last season include Nelsen, sophomore Dylan Jensen and sophomore Landen Sharer. This group has been showing great consistency and leadership early in the season.
Others mentioned include the juniors of Mason Karsky and Carter Wiese along with a group of sophomores sand freshmen getting more comfortable with their game.
Coach Jueden added the big transition will be the school size with Plainview playing mainly Class D and some Class C but then the numbers out.
“Managing this number is going to be a fun challenge for me and coach Armstrong,” Jueden added. “Then hearing from the previous coaches they say they got a lot of young kids interested, so hoping just to foster that young interest and hopefully create a love of the game for them and kind of a passion for the game for them as well.”
This year, the team goal is to have an average score of under 380.
The 2025 Wayne High boys golf season will get underway on Monday, March 31 during the West Point-Beemer Invite from the Indian Trails Country Club in Beemer.
Two invites will be showcased at the Wayne Country Club this spring.
“It’s awesome,” Jueden mentioned. “They do a great job out at the Wayne Country Club hosting, Kyle and Brian, he always has it looking in great shape. We’re just excited to show that to the rest of the teams and what we have to offer.”
Wayne will host an invite at the Wayne Country Club on Thursday, May 8 before competing back on their home course the following week on Tuesday, May 13 during the Wakefield Invite in Wayne.
