On the heels of an AIA Division I state championship, the Brophy golf team hopes to stay locked in and focused come playoff time this fall.

“We lost two seniors last year, but I was pretty confident with the guys coming back,” head coach Jon Shores said. “It’s just a matter of helping these kids understand that they have talent.”

Brophy’s squad has been competitive in the Division I high school golf scene for decades, with nine state titles under its belt.

The team dominated in the state championship at Omni Tucson National Resort last year. Shooting a 5-under-par as a group, the Broncos got a big performance from then-junior Zack Missigman, who shot under-par on both days of the tournament.

This year brings added pressure to the squad's members as they approach the latter end of the fall season. With three first-place finishes in regular-season tournaments so far, as well as top-three finishes in all other tournaments, junior Noah Nuez isn’t going to let the early success blind him from the bigger picture.

“Even though we won state last year, we still have to compete and play,” Nuez said. “We practice to compete and play our best every time.”

Part of their success stems from Shores’ practicing methods. By having them play the course over practicing at the range, he believes that if the boys cannot compete against each other during practice, then they won’t have the skills to be better under pressure.

The boys will have to hone their skills for the remainder of the season against divisional rivals such as Hamilton and Chaparral, as they will have their eyes on the state champion Broncos all the way until playoff time. They must stay laser-focused on their game and build relationships with their fellow teammates if they hope to maintain success.

Missigman hopes that this year can be one to remember. Being the only senior on the roster, Missigman wants to leave an everlasting impression on his school, his teammates and himself.

“I want to be the best I can in every aspect, so even if I’m not playing well, I can try to help my teammates play better and get better as a whole,” Missigman said.

Leadership will be an important factor for the Brophy golf team moving forward. All lowerclassmen from the 10-man squad will have to step into leadership roles after the roster losses from the previous year.

Shores and the boys are confident that they have the skills and chemistry that it takes to follow up last year’s state championship, but they understand that this is no easy task, and they will have large targets on their backs. 

“We are talented enough to make a good run, and there’s a fair amount of pressure that comes with that,” Shores said. “We have 10 guys that put their teammates above themselves.”