SPORTS TALK
With Michael Betteridge
.
That’s How It’s Done!
I think this might be the first time that I have ever written a golf column. I know I’ve mentioned golf in this column, but I’ve never written an entire story on high school varsity golf. But this 2026 Catoctin golf team is special!
Let me back up a bit and give you some background on my golf knowledge. I know I’ve shared in previous columns my extensive experience playing golf. I am really good! Right now, I have $4,525 in the bank after winning my last tournament in the Asia Pacific division at Yongsan Gardens with a 3 under par. Transparency requires me to admit playing Golf Clash on my cellphone. I binge-watched the entire series The Hawk, starring Will Ferrell, on Netflix. Does that count? Oh yeah, I caddied once or twice in my teens to put some summer fun money in my pocket. That’s the extent of my golf background.
Truthfully, I have never once actually played the real game of golf. I have two excuses. No one ever invited me to play, and I’m left-handed. It’s not like pickup basketball, where all you do is walk out onto the court and pick teams. First, you’ve got to borrow a set of left-handed clubs, and then you’ve got to find someone who is willing to hamstring their outing with a rookie hacker. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Note: I am still open to invitations.
Now that we have my golf qualifications out of the way, let’s talk about some local kids who definitely qualify.
Sophomore Callen Edmonston qualified back in mid-September and took second place in the CMC Golf Championships at Black Rock Golf Course in Hagerstown. Callen shot a 70, two strokes behind the leader, Oakdale’s Landon Tudor. Earlier in the month, Callen won the PB Dye Golf Club tournament in Ijamsville with a 36 and helped Catoctin finish second overall in the match. Golf is in Callen’s DNA. He grew up surrounded by golf. Before he was old enough to walk, his father would take him to Waynesboro Country Club just to soak in the vibe. Callen began playing golf at a very early age, and everyone realized he was a natural. Now that he is playing competitively, it is evident that those predictions were true. Last year as a freshman, he recorded one of Frederick County’s lowest single-round scores a 5 under par 31. High school golf matches consist of nine holes. Playing a nine-hole course, he had to have birdied (1 under par) at least 5 holes. That is amazing by any stretch of the imagination, especially for a 14-year-old. Callen finished first overall in the small school CMC tournament this year and second in the entire conference. Callen’s average golf score this season is 36.4. Did I mention he’s a sophomore?
As amazing as this golf team appears to be, there is actually a bigger story here. Believe it or not, that story involves Catoctin varsity football. The golf team has two new players. From cleats to clubs, Colton Gray and Lane Koenig, both former Catoctin Cougars varsity football running backs, are tearing up the golf links for Catoctin.
As a former football coach and now announcer, my passion for football made it impossible for me to imagine not being around the sport. I asked Colton how he could have possibly walked away from football in the most important year of his career, as a senior. Colton was very open and honest, and in a moment of complete vulnerability, he admitted the decision came with tears. Colton had suffered his ninth concussion toward the end of the season last year. Over the summer, he and his parents sat down and had a very tough conversation about his future. The very gift that made him a great football player, his football brain, was injured. But how do you treat an injury you can’t see? Colton and his family decided to step away from football and play golf. He showed amazing maturity for a young man in making that decision. He chose to use the same skills that made him excel in football and apply them to another sport which he loved: golf. He shared with me that the mental focus, the work ethic, and the team camaraderie that made him love football are exactly what golf is all about. Colton’s average golf score this season is 40.7. Pretty impressive for a first-year high school golf competitor.
Former Catoctin Cougars running back Lane Koenig shares a similar story. He is also playing golf now. Lane is averaging a 46.3 this year.
I spoke with golf coach Mark Smith about this team. Coach Mark told me he has the largest roster in Catoctin golf history with 22 players. His team went from finishing thirteenth in a 16-team CMC conference in 2021 to fifth in 2026. Now, that’s how you build a winning program. Steady progress! To prove that point, this Catoctin golf team made a Maryland State golf tournament appearance for the first time in over 20 years last year, and it’s a safe bet they do it again this year.
But it doesn’t stop there. Teammate Gage Eyler has averaged 44 this year, along with Weston Brantner, who shot a 46.3, and Wyatt Kinna with a 46.7, all nine-hole averages.
The season is winding down, so I hope you’ll head over to Maple Run Golf Course in Thurmont to watch them play on Thursday, October 8. They tee off at 3:00 p.m. I’ll certainly be there. I wonder if anyone is left-handed?
Pro golfer Lonnie Hawkins (played by Will Ferrell) has a famous catchphrase throughout the Netflix series, The Hawk, after every win. Picture a team photo of the Catoctin Cougars golf team with the Lonnie Hawkins caption underneath: “THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE!”
I’m going to take that picture at the next match and post it on my website. See you at Maple Run.
