In a sport like golf, where an individual plays alone to receive their own score without help and assists from his teammates, teamwork plays a huge role in success.

With a fun and relaxed atmosphere, the boys golf team has enjoyed a lot of unexpected success this season. After losing their star player James Imai who is now playing Division I golf at Northwestern, the boys team never thought that they would be as successful as they have been this season.

Senior and co-captain Ben Moolman, who has been on the team since his freshman year, did not know what to expect at the start of the season.

“We thought this year obviously wouldn’t be as good, but we made States early on in the season. We didn’t even see that coming and it’s pretty cool,” Moolman said.

Moolman and his fellow senior and co-captain Alex Socorro never took golf that seriously before they both joined the team four years ago. They only ended up joining because they had friends who were already playing on the golf team. Despite their lack of experience prior to high school, Socorro and Moolman were able to captain the team to a 10-6-1 record and a playoff berth this season.

Socorro said that the tight-knit community of the team has done a great deal in leading to this season’s success.

“We are able to do well as a team and do what we have to do to get a win, but at the same time, we can have fun doing it,” Socorro said. “We all know each other and hang out outside of school.”

Senior Cole Harris said getting to know all of the members of the team has been a great experience for the boys, and it has played a great role in their success.

“Getting to know who all of the different players on the team are and what they can do when they need to do it has been a really nice experience for the team. We’ve shared a mutual feeling of success and accomplishment,” Harris said.

The relaxed, easy-going attitude of the team also shows itself in practice.

“Depending on if we have a match or not, we take it seriously. If we don’t [have a match] we normally just play to have fun and to have a good time with each other,” Socorro said.

Overall, Moolman is very thankful for his experience on the team.

“It’s just a great community. The guys on the team are amazing and the bonds that we’ve formed on the team are really great and it is just an amazing experience being on the team,” Moolman said.

Harris is also grateful for his experience.

“It’s awesome being on the golf team,” Harris said. “It’s definitely an experience that I’m really thankful for. The team’s awesome, and I love all the boys.”