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.”
