It looks like things are lined up for the Helias Crusaders golf team to have a successful season.
The Crusaders return five letterwinners and are quite familiar with the courses to be used for the Class 3 district, sectional and state tournaments.
"We really shouldn't have any excuses," Helias coach Dan Campbell said as the Crusaders prepared for today's season opener in a quadrangular at Eldon.
"We're in good shape when it comes to experience. Now we just need to keep improving as we head to the postseason. It's there for us, we just need to put the work in."
The Crusaders return two state qualifiers.
Jack Rundle is Helias' No. 1 player after taking 34th at state last year.
"Jack is our clear-cut No. 1, he can shoot even-par a lot of days," Campbell said.
Curtis Campbell finished 80th at state last season. He will be joined by veterans Cole Higgins, Dalton Roark and Ethan Johnson in the varsity lineup.
"They work hard, they like to have fun, but they get their work done," Dan Campbell said. "When it times to focus in practice, they've done that so far.
"Curtis, Dalton and Cole can all shoot in the 70s. And Ethan is capable of breaking into the top group. That's who we'll go with, unless somebody breaks through with some good consistent scores."
Helias posted a score of 160 during a practice round in the cold weather last week at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club.
"And with the weather we were playing in that day and for it being this early in the season, if we can do that on a consistent basis, we might be pretty tough to beat," Campbell said.
Not that the Crusaders still don't have things to work on. Such as their short games.
"We're losing a lot of shots around the green when it comes to chipping and putting," Campbell said. "But I think that will come. I'm sure a lot of teams around the state are struggling with the same thing right now."
Campbell would like to see his team be more consistent with short putts.
"You're going to have a handful of those in a round and you need to be confident to make those," he said.
Campbell also wants his players to not let one bad shot turn into another.
"We can get a triple bogey and let it bother us so much the score can turn from the upper 70s to the mid-80s," Campbell said. "We need to learn to take our medicine, accept the bogey rather than trying to hit a miracle shot and posting a really big score."
Lane Plunkett and Alex Gentry are close behind the top five when it comes to varsity time on the 12-player roster.
"They've been a little inconsistent, but they've put up some good numbers and they could get into the mix for some varsity time," Campbell said.
Helias will open the postseason with the district tournament at Eldon, with the sectional tournament to follow at Meadow Lake.
"We're familiar with those two courses and hopefully we're playing some consistent golf when that time comes around," Campbell said.
The Class 3 state tournament is scheduled to be played at Sedalia Country Club.
"I really think we can get a state trophy, Campbell said. "We'd have to shoot around 315 both days at state, but I think we have players that are capable of that."
Helias will play its own Invitational and the Capital City Invitational at Meadow Lake and will also play in Sedalia at the Smith-Cotton Classic during the regular season.
Other tournaments include the Union Invitational, the Columbia Classic and the Laker Invitational at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton.