Cassville girls gold looks to grow over season

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

The Cassville girls golf team enters the season with plenty of room to grow, but coach Clayton Bagby said the Lady Wildcats have already shown the work ethic needed to make progress throughout the year.

With only one returning player having significant varsity experience, Bagby said the primary focus will be on learning the game, developing consistency and improving individually.

“Going into the year, we only have one girl in Taylor Yarnall that has played a significant amount of golf at the varsity level, so a main goal of the year will be to continue to learn the game, and begin to gain consistency for all in their ball striking ability and continue to improve individually throughout the season,” Bagby said.

Yarnall, a senior, returns after competing at the varsity level for the past two seasons. She finished in the top half of most tournaments last year and capped the season with a medalist finish at the conference tournament.

“She is a very consistent player and is definitely going to look to compete at conference as well as make a run at qualifying for state this year,” Bagby said.

Yarnall will also serve as Cassville’s lone senior leader. Bagby said her leadership extends beyond the golf course and should be an important asset to a young team.

“Taylor is known for being a leader in school in everything she does, and will do so in golf also,” Bagby said. “She has a very positive attitude and can help the girls in all aspects of golf and school.”

The Lady Wildcats also return junior Abbi Yarnall, who competed in several varsity tournaments last season while balancing golf with volleyball. She made her mark at the conference tournament by earning a medal.

Cassville will add three players to the roster, including Molly Pickett, who dual-sported with volleyball last season but is focusing exclusively on golf this year.

“With a focus on golf this season, she has already shown an improved swing and ability to hit the ball and will step in to playing at the varsity level,” Bagby said.

Sophomore Paislee Bolinger is joining the program after beginning golf last season. Bagby said she has made noticeable strides heading into her second season and will compete for a varsity position.

“Paislee came out and was new to golf last year as a freshman, and like Molly, has shown improved skill this year,” Bagby said.

Junior Gracelyn Sanders, a new student at Cassville, is also joining the program after deciding to give golf a go.

“She has shown athleticism and just came out to play,” Bagby said.

Bagby said the squad’s early emphasis has been on developing fundamentals and making adjustments.

“So far, I believe the girls have shown up with a good work ethic and have shown an improved focus on the range, and especially at working to make adjustments to improve their swing,” he said.

While ball striking has been an area of progress, Bagby identified the short game as the biggest area where the Lady Wildcats can improve their scores.

“We spend a lot of time on the short game in practice,” he said. “If they can reduce the amount of shots around the green, and especially on the green, it will continue to improve their overall scores and give them the best opportunity come conference/district time.”

The schedule will provide Cassville’s younger players with opportunities to test their games against larger programs. The Lady Wildcats will compete in tournaments at Carthage and Carl Junction, giving them the chance to measure themselves against strong competition.

“We play in some larger school tournaments like Carthage and Carl Junction that give the opportunity for the girls to compete and show their individual talents,” Bagby said.

Cassville will also participate in three Big 4 Scramble challenges against Mount Vernon, Monett and Seneca. Bagby said those events provide a different atmosphere that the players particularly enjoy.

The Lady Wildcats will have a chance to showcase their team at home on Sept. 24 when Cassville hosts its home tournament.

“The girls love playing in that tournament because it gives family and friends an opportunity to come watch,” Bagby said.

For Cassville, the season will be less about immediate expectations and more about establishing a foundation. With Yarnall providing varsity experience and leadership and a group of younger players continuing to learn, Bagby hopes the Lady Wildcats can steadily improve from the first tournament through conference and district competition.

Bagby said the goal is consistency — both in the players’ swings and in their ability to manage the course — with the expectation that improvement throughout the season will put the team in its best position when the postseason arrives.