High School golf has been in full swing for a few months and suddenly the Polk County Golf Championship is thrust upon the county.
The tournament is slated for Monday at the Cleveland Heights Golf Course — 8 a.m. for girls and 1 p.m. for boys.
Rights have already been bragged on the Winter Haven side thanks to former Winter Haven golfer Anthony Monteleone dominating the competition the last few years and, the same thing can be said for former Kathleen golfer Darby Hancock, as both players are The Ledger’s Golfers of the Year.
But it’s now time for the leader of the new school to stand up.
Team-wise, McKeel won it on the girls side, while Winter Haven won county in 2024.
It’s 2025 now, and below are expectations and concerns for the respective programs ahead of the county tournament.
McKeel girls
County champions in 2022, 2023, 2024 and the runner-up in 2020 and 2012, McKeel’s expectation is to play solid team golf and maintain not only the county championship, but also maintain the district and regional titles.
The team this year finished second in the first flight at Crutchfield-Hawkins, and was the winner of St. Cloud Invitational with a scoring average of 165.
Individual-wise, Caroline DeKalb finished third overall in couny in 2024.
Still, McKeel head golf coach Jeremy Bohnenstiehl said the concern is having one or two bad holes compound and roll over into several more.
But they still have a great chance to win it all. And this starts with DeKalb, who is a fantastic senior leader and all-around player with consistency from match to match.
Then there is Georgia Grace Spence — a catalyst for the team who possesses a great mental game.
New addition-wise, there is Leonie Tavares who is a solid teammate who has a great overall game.
Frostproof girls
Finishing second with a combined 358 in 2024 (Hannah Castillo won it individually) and fourth with a 394 in 2023 in county, Frostproof’s biggest expectation for this year at county is to play their best and give their best efforts.
The goal is simple: to have a good showing at county leading into districts.
While Castillo has already accomplished so much at a very young age, the team is still very young overall. And the program is looking to increase the mental toughness and course management skills.
To date, the team has played more 18-hole matches this season in preparation for the county tournament and the postseason.
“We’re looking to continue to build on a great season for the Lady Bulldogs,” head golf coach Ashley Castillo said.
And that will be led by Hannah Castillo, who won the Crutchfield Hawkins tournament this year. She won the individual district title the past two years and was also the co-champion at county last year.
Frostproof boys
Just last year, the Frostproof boys finished in seventh place in county and sixth in 2023.
“(We) have had a solid season as a team and are looking forward to having a good showing at county. The team has struggled with consistency but overall (we) are a solid team with some talented young golfers,” head coach Karen Bolin said.
The program finished 14th in the first flight at Crutchfield Hawkins Tournament and registered sixth at the George Jenkins Invitational.
Frostproof is led by eighth-grader Jordan Castillo with his 9-hole average of 37.1. The middle schooler shot a 76 (T19) at the George Jenkins Invitational, leading the Bulldogs again this season with seven rounds of par or under.
On Jordan’s side is freshman Blake Laman with an average of 40.3. He shot a 78 at Crutchfield Hawkins, placing 28th in first flight. He also shot 76 (T19) at the George Jenkins Invitational.
Winter Haven girls
The Blue Devils are looking to build experience in county.
“…I’m very proud of how far this young Winter Haven girls’ golf team has come this season,” head golf coach Jason Birdson said. “We’ve made great strides in all areas. At the start of this season, three of our players had no knowledge of the game and had never swung a golf club. They are making great contact with the ball now but our short game, especially around the greens, and putting is not where it needs to be and is crucial to lowering our scores. That will be key for us in this tournament.”
The team is comprised of three freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors.
A major highlight for Winter Haven has been the outstanding play of freshman Danica Becker, who is currently ranked No. 1 in class 3A Region 2 District 8. She brought home two trophies at the Crutchfield Invitational this season for first place in her flight and first overall.
As a team, Winter Haven currently ranks No. 2 in the class, region and district, which is an impressive accomplishment given how young this group is.
Winter Haven boys
The Blue Devils lost multiple-time Golfer of the Year recipient in Monteleone, but the show must go on.
They boast senior Tyler Loftus, who is a Jedi of the Monteleone legion. The senior is Monteleone’s understudy and best friend, and as a result, he’s been leading the team in scoring all year.
Then there is Mason Becker and Cade Reed who have been jockeying for the No. 2 spot. Still, the play of Kolton Bruce, Lane McIntee, Easton Mason, Avery Plowden and Jaxson Bell are making it tough to determine who will play in county and district.
“Looking forward to see the final lineup playing in county and beyond. We should finish the season just fine if we play strong,” Winter Haven head golf coach Charlie James said.
Lakeland boys and girls
For Lakeland, the No.1 player is John Braden Myers — an excellent golfer and will have a chance to do very well in the county match.
On the girls side there isElizabeth Hall — the No.1 girls player. She is very capable of winning the county as well as some other big matches. She played in a boys match this year and performed well.
Lakeland Christian girls
Heading into county on Monday, the team’s biggest expectation is to continue to play confidently and stay mentally tough throughout the round, as the program has emphasized course management and consistency all season.
When it comes to concerns, it’s the unpredictability that comes with golf and tournament nerves. The Vikings had some strong rounds this season, but avoiding big numbers and staying focused from hole to hole will be key.
The girls team is all about Taylor Logan and Annie Greene, who have both been a steady forece all year. Completing the talented trio is Amelia Pearcewho has made big strides and has become a reliable scorer in recent matches.
“…We’re excited and proud of the progress the girls have made this season,” Lakeland Christian golf coach Beth Burton said.
Lakeland Christian boys
As for the boys, the program was second last year in the county championship and returns three key players from that strong lineup.
Parker Marshall, who boasts an impressive six-round average of 0.87 and currently ranks as the 50th best sophomore in Florida. He recently set a school record with a 31 (5-under through nine holes) at Streamsong Red during the inaugural Polk County Cup — an annual match play event featuring Lakeland Christian, All Saints, Frostproof and George Jenkins. Joining him is Jackson Helm, one of the most accomplished middle school golfers in the state who is ranked 12th among all eighth graders competing in high school golf. A varsity letterman since sixth grade, Jackson has built a strong résumé highlighted by a 76 at the Jenkins Invitational, which is tied for 19th in a field of 120.
Also in the lineup are seniors Kristian Spann and Maclain Irby, who are both coming off their season-best performances, providing valuable veteran leadership to the roster. Their steady play and course management add balance and depth to the team’s younger core. And joining them is Braden Goldsmith, a newcomer who’s already made a strong impression by contributing in nearly every match this season.
Davenport boys and girls
On the boys’ side, the success of the team all depends on senior captain Brandon Anderson. He has played some great golf this fall coming in with a scoring average around 39.5 for nine holes, playing most of the events on the championship courses at Champions Gate Golf Club. But if fellow seniors Cam Lyons and Cole Hyatt can play their best game, then Davenport can have a shot at a top-five county finish.
As for the girls, it’s about senior captain Gabby Iovanna who is one of the most improved players in the county and has been playing some solid golf over the last couple of weeks. She will be Davenport’s only county participant for the girls.
Lake Region boys
This year’s team has one junior, two sophomores and four freshmen. First-year Lake Region player Connor Geraci is the No. 1 player this golf season with a 9-hole season average of 43. His driving average is above 250 yards and as he improves his putting and shots inside 50 yards, his average will be below 40 strokes per nine holes.
“…We have an entirely new team of golfers this year. Never been more proud of a group of young boys as this year’s team at Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake,” Lake Region head golf coach Jerry Lewis said.
Auburndale boys
Auburndale will dole out five seniors this year with each breaking 40 at one point or another in 9-hole match play.
These seniors helped the program exhibit a good showing at the George Jenkins Invitational.
Bayden Williams is at the forefront of this team, consistently performing well and is currently ranked in the top 15 in the region.
Rounding out the top five are seniors Jack Deemer, Landon Allen, Lane Brown and Hagan Bennett, who all are capable of finishing in the top 10 on Monday.
George Jenkins boys
The flying Eagles goal is to be in the conversation as the top team in the county while being realistic about the pros and cons of where county is being hosted.
“A course like Cleveland Heights opens the door for younger players to do as well as older ones because it is shorter than most we play, less water and less forced carries versus what we will see at the district or regional level. While GJ may be the iWR leader for the county, teams like Frostproof, LCS or Auburndale are experienced at courses like this far more than we are. This is also Lakeland’s home course they play each day,” George Jenkins head golf coach Paul Weaver said.
As a team, the Eagles are averaging three fewer stokes per 9-hole match than last season while rotating players in and out of the lineup for development purposes. The program has placed in the top three at the county tournament each of the last three seasons last winning in 2019 and 2020.
At the helm is Grayson Abbott — a top 50 player in Class 3A. He has a strong supporting cast in Andrew Sagnella and Andrew Wingate.
