Wednesday, April 23, 1997

Coahoma coach sweats as team tries to play way into state tourney

By Bill Hart

BAIRD - There's nothing like watching a coach sweating out his team when a trip to a state tournament is on the line.

And no one was as nervous - or excited - as Coahoma coach Kim Nichols Tuesday at the boys Region I-2A golf tournament held at Shady Oaks Golf Course.

His Bulldogs had started the final day in fifth place, but only 10 strokes behind first-place Post and eight behind Memphis. Only the top two qualify for the state tournament in Austin May 5-6.

Teams were paired in foursomes, so Coahoma had to play earlier than the teams ahead of them. The weather was a bit cooler and the wind stronger, yet the Bulldogs shot a 305, the best round of the day.

As the players from Post, Memphis, Ozona and McCamey came in, Nichols would leave the scoreboard area and wander down to the 18th green, about 100 yards away, to check scores.

The leaders were not playing well, and, as the scores were posted, Nichols knew his team had a chance to pass McCamey for fourth place. McCamey had beaten the Bulldogs in Coahoma's invitational tournament.

Ozona, which beat Coahoma in District 8-2A, was next. When three players came in with higher scores than Monday, the Bulldogs moved into third place. Post was out of the chase when No. 2 medalist Jerry Graham came in with a 78.

That left Memphis. When Gunnar Roberts' score was posted, Coahoma had tied the Cyclones for first place. Both shot 623.

Both were going to state, but they had to have a playoff for the first-place trophy and medals. Memphis won the four-player total score playoff by a stroke, but Nichols wasn't disappointed. The fivesome of Regi Roberts, Blake Nichols, Josh Collom, Kyle Wyatt and Jason Gwyn is believed to be the first Coahoma golf team to make it to Austin.

You have to take off your hats to these five young men. They had played in seven tournaments this year and had never won a title. They came in a distant second to Ozona in district, thanks to a 326 final round - their best of the year at that point.

They peaked at the right time. Four players recorded their best rounds of the year the past two days. Blake Nichols dropped from a 75 to a 73, Gwyn from an 85 to 79, Collom from a 79 to a 78 and Wyatt from 86 to 78.

They didn't start off Tuesday as if they'd finish in the top two. Collom was 4-over par after three holes, hitting his tee shot into the water on No. 1 and going out-of-bounds on No. 2. But he played the next six holes 1-under par. Gwyn was 4 over after the first two holes, and Roberts bogeyed the first three holes.

"The weather today wasn't a problem, it changes every five minutes in Coahoma," said Nichols, the coach's son. "We have been talking regional all year and we felt we could make it out even with Ozona from our district competing."

Coach Nichols sighs when he thinks "what might have been." Jay McHugh was on the team last year, but his dad is now on the coaching staff at Brownfield. Guess what? The younger McHugh was the medalist in the District 4-3A golf tournament this year. And Brock Carter, who played as No. 1 last year, moved to the Dallas area. But Wyatt and Gwyn have filled in adequately.

Nichols, Roberts and Collom were members of last year's team that made it to regional and finished sixth. And Collom is the only senior of the group.

All but Wyatt played basketball for coach Nichols this past season when the Bulldogs were 22-10 and made it to bi-district before losing to Tahoka, which made it to the state tournament.

These five Bulldogs are proof positive that success begats success.