Close calls and great golf have led Hiland senior trio to the precipice of something superb in 2015 season

The trio of leaders on Hiland’s boys golf team have had a number of bumps and bruises on their path to the top.For Mark Schlabach, Jacob Kalman and Adam Grate, the victories have been many, but the sting of barely-missed state tournaments for the past two years has marred an accomplished career for each.In the 2013 season, the Hawks lost out on the final state qualifying spot in a tie-breaker at River Greens Golf Course. Last year, they shot a whopping 15 strokes better than they had at River Greens and still missed the top four at Pickaway Golf Course.This year, their focus is more intense and each has a drive to knock off all shots necessary to make a state berth. “These last couple of years we have gotten so close, that it is something we all think about a lot,” said Kalman. “I think it drives us a little more. We haven’t beaten ourselves up over it, but it is definitely is something in the back of our minds.”Kalman said that rather than worry, the Hawks need to simply focus on the task at hand, which is getting better. He said if they do that, the team will get where it needs to be at the end of the year.Schlabach didn’t get to go with his team in 2013, but he did qualify for state as an individual, firing a tidy 74. But almost as if the game of golf wanted to show off its cruelty, Schlabach was denied a trip to state last season when he shot a 75.“It would be so much more fun to get down to Columbus as a team,” said Schlabach. “We’d love to go put up some good numbers at state in our senior year.”The seniors have been great examples to the younger talent, like Tremper Coblentz, Johnny Mullet and Claye Hummel. Schlabach said part of growing into the game is helping the younger kids learn to better understand the game and how to deal with the pressure.So far their tutelage has paid off. Mullet and Coblentz have been a huge part of the team’s early success this year.Not only does the team want to reach state, they have plenty of other goals along the way, like winning some of the tournaments they are playing in the regular season. That goal was partially satisfied when the Hawks captured the Indian Valley Braves Invite earlier this year. The team has also played well in several other events.“Winning along the way only builds confidence and makes for more fun in the season,” said Grate. “We all have our own individual goals, but the team thing is what we really want, and getting so close to state has taught us to push ourselves that much harder.”Hiland head coach Austin Kaufman said this group doesn’t need any incentive to dig in and produce. What they will need is consistency, something Kaufman is looking for from his three seniors.“They know what it is going to take, having gotten so close the past two years,” said Kaufman. “We just need to buckle down and tackle things mentally. If we play the way we are capable of playing, we should have a good shot.”