Taylor is the recipient of the Physical Education Department’s Foundation Leadership Award. Taylor demonstrates excellence in the weight room every day by setting challenging goals for herself and working hard to achieve them. She shows great dependability through her consistent effort and commitment to improvement, always holding herself to a high standard. Beyond her own performance, she fosters a positive and encouraging environment that motivates those around her. Taylor goes above and beyond expectations, setting an example of leadership, dedication, and goal-driven success for her peers.
Congratulations to Taylor on this well-deserved recognition!
German Dinner October 24th
How will you mark success at the State Championship this weekend?
Jacob Armstrong: “Everybody's got to go in there feeling no pressure, just play your game. But I do feel like there is a sense of pressure just because we did win last year. I feel like with the teams that are in it, we are, again, underdogs, but we were last year. I feel like there was a pressure to at least get back. I've talked to a lot of people in the community. They expected us to get back. And now we have, so that relieved a lot of pressure, but there is still pressure to go out there and shoot some good scores like we have all year. It's nothing we can't do. It's not a lot of pressure, but all we gotta do is go out there and do what we've done all year.”
James Threadgill: “I think, for myself, to be successful over the weekend is literally just to have fun and be myself. Being myself is a big part of my golf game, 'cause you can ask my parents, you can ask anybody - as soon as I stop being myself on that golf course, it all goes downhill from there. I just want to keep a good attitude, and honestly, not even care about the score. Just go out there, have fun, and be with the people that I like the most.”
What creates team chemistry?
James Threadgill: “I think even just having Josh and Logan up this year on varsity is huge, because Josh, I've known Josh how many years now? And me and him have always played golf together, constantly asking, ‘Hey, when can we go up to (Pine Hills)? When can we go to Deer Park? Can we go to Morris? And it's just, I know everybody, like that. It's so awesome to be with people like that, that I know.”
Jacob Armstrong: “We all know each other outside of golf. We hang out in our free time, we all get together, we golf together. It's not just high school related events that we see each other all the time, and I think that's what it takes to have a real bond. We're all friends. We are more than teammates. We spend a lot of time outside of school together, and that's what creates - what I think we have - a really strong bond.”
James Threadgill: “It's pretty awesome being with people that are older than me. Like last year when I was on the team, Seth (Cooper) was one of my favorite people to talk with. He really helped me because I was a freshman, and I really had nothing. I didn't know what to expect, but he helped me out. And I also think knowing Jacob, Cole, and Briar very well, they're older than me, that also helps, because I've known them for many years now.”
Do you get the sense that you are making history for Ottawa Township High School sports?
Jacob Armstrong: “You gotta feel good about yourself. You know, you brought the town some recognition. You've impressed a lot of people. There's so many people who have put in a lot to make this team succeed, not just the players, but you know, the coaches, the parents, the people at the golf courses who support you, your individual coaches. This team winning isn't just for the high school or for the six of us. It's for the entire community and everybody that was involved through every step of the way.”
Bryer Harris: “I'm not really, like, seeking the glory. I mean, I just want to play the best I can and have fun, but once it's there, it's a surreal feeling. You have obviously done something that nobody else has done in the history of Ottawa High School, so it's a great deal.”
What are some of your favorite memories from the season?
James Threadgill: “In our last 9-hole match, (Jacob) walked up to me - after we had finished taking our hats off and shaking hands - he told me “Give me a hug.” And so we hugged on the last green. I was like, that's pretty awesome, man, 'cause I didn't think about it until just then when he told me that - that's probably gonna be the last... it was the last - high school match that me and him are gonna play together.”
On October 6th, the Ottawa Township High School varsity golf team earned a Sectional Championship at the IHSA Class 2A Boylan Catholic Sectional at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Country Club in Rockford.
The team, which includes seniors Jacob Armstrong and Colt Bryson, juniors Bryer Harris and Logan Cottingham, and sophomores James Threadgill and Joshua Armstrong, scored 296 to secure their second consecutive IHSA Sectional Championship under coaches Keith Budzowski, Mark Cooper, and Jerry Couch. The team also earned a 7th consecutive IHSA Class 2A Regional title.
Their achievements come after the first-ever IHSA state championship for an Ottawa Township High School athletic team in 2024. They now prepare for a second consecutive State Championship appearance on October 10th at Weibring Golf Club in Normal.
Is there pressure, as the wins continue, that you need to mentally prepare for?
Bryer Harris: “I knew that I felt a little bit of pressure, knowing that this was a good team, but I was just looking to have fun and spend time with my teammates and do what I love and that's playing golf. And just the team being great is a really good added bonus.”
Joshua Armstrong: “The big pressure to me at least is the feeling that you don't want to let down your teammates. I've just stepped up from junior varsity. I've been having a roughish year, and a lot of it is just trying to be able to handle that pressure and figure out what to do with it.”
Colt Bryson: “You're trying to live up to expectations from other people around you, but at the same time, it's just about having fun.”
Jacob Armstrong: “I feel like there's more pressure at sectionals than there is at state because when you get down to state, you made it. There's nowhere else to go. My first two years, we missed out barely, and the goal was always to get to state, and then we had made it, and then the pressure was all really relieved.”
Logan Cottingham: “It's kind of just learning on how to control your attitude and what mentally you have to do to prepare yourself to go up to a shot and think you're going to do the best shot you're going to hit all day.”
Is reaching the IHSA State Championship an expectation or a goal?
Keith Budzowski, Coach: “I'd say more of a goal than expectation. There's enough pressure as it is - school wide, community wide - thinking ‘Are these guys good enough? They gotta do it again.’ Even going to the sectional this year, we know it was a little bit tougher - the toughest sectional that we faced since I’ve been head coach. After about six holes, I was like ‘All right, we're good enough to win.’ And then, they did it.
What have you learned about yourselves during the golf season this year?
Joshua Armstrong: “We all improved. We all went out, did the work, did what we needed to. We've gotten better; we became better people. And we've had fun while doing it. We've enjoyed what we've been doing, and I think we just gotta keep doing that.”
Bryer Harris: “You learn from each other, and I mean, I can learn from Josh (Armstrong) as much as Josh can learn from me. But obviously, I think the fact that the team has been good for so long really helps it continue to be good because the younger kids watch and they're like, ‘Hey, I want to do that.’ And I think it kind of helps itself.”
Logan Cottingham: “I feel like us coming together and having each other's backs just has been really special for this group.”
Colt Bryson: “I think the biggest takeaway is always just to have fun. I mean, obviously, you want to win, but there's nothing better than just spending time with each other and just being who we are.”
How are you preparing for competition this weekend?
Logan Cottingham: “We have the ability to go and just win every tournament we go to. We just have that confidence and trust in each other that we can do it, and it's possible.”
Jacob Armstrong: “All you have is the right now. And right now, you have to go and do your best to execute this golf shot. So, you can think about what's yet to come and what already happened, but all it does is just take up extra space in your head, which should be used to focus on the shot at hand.”
Keith Budzowski, Coach: “They're just out there to play their best. I think for us, it's more carefree. We're just going in, knowing like, ‘Hey, we have the game. Let's just go out there and have a good time.’
Is it bittersweet knowing this might be the last time you all golf together?
Bryer Harris: “I grew up playing golf with Jacob and Colt, especially, and Josh, and this is kind of like the last year that we're going to be on a team together. It's honestly sad, but, I mean, it's good to see us all grow and mature into adults now.”
Jacob Armstrong: “I was really emotional after the sectional round. It's gonna be hard to not play competitive golf with these guys again. You know, not have them on my team. But that doesn't mean I can't go cheer them on and root for them and we can still go play golf together.”
