Deep Coronado squad closes in on program’s first state championship

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

Coronado freshman A.J. McInerney tees off on the 16th hole Tuesday during a match against Centennial at Anthem Country Club.

By Steve Silver (contact)

Friday, April 3, 2009 | midnight

A.J. McInerney watched helplessly from the sidelines as the Coronado boys' golf team allowed a one stroke lead to slip away in the final nine holes of the 4A state championship last year at TPC Las Vegas to cross-valley rival Palo Verde.

Coronado had built a dominant program in the Sunrise Region thanks to a bevy of golf talent in the Anthem area, but still narrowly failed to capture the school's first team state championship in golf.

McInerney, then in eighth grade, decided that day to set a goal of winning a state title before graduating in 2012.

But the second best freshman in the nation according to the Golfweek/Titleist Performance Index might only have to wait a few weeks before that dream becomes reality.

"A.J. was good enough in sixth grade to play for me," Coronado coach Joe Sawaia said. "It wasn't like he came out of nowhere. We both waited a long time to get to this season because we knew this year was going to be the year... Without a doubt this is definitely my most talented team from top to bottom."

McInerney, who is ranked No. 149 in the nation among all high school golfers, commands the top spot for the Cougars. At 15 years old, McInerney already elicits loud cheering from the Anthem Country Club clubhouse when he approaches the 18th green.

McInerney lead the Cougars with a 1-under par 35 in Coronado's 185-199 victory over Centennial on Tuesday afternoon at Anthem -- a mark many golfers would dream of, but McInerney shrugs off as an average day.

"It could have easily been a 33," McInerney joked. "I really don't worry about the individual scores. I just want to help the team. I love the team aspect of high school golf because I think it makes everything more fun."

While McInerney is certainly a unique talent on the links, he is really just one of many stars on Coronado's squad.

The Cougars, who are 6-0 in dual match play this season, also return the defending individual state champion, sophomore Tad Darland, as well as defending Sunrise Regional title-holder, senior Kevin Stratton.

Stratton, one of the most experienced players on the team, will golf next year at Odessa College in Texas.

"I want to go out with a bang this year, because this is the best we've ever had," Stratton said. "It's really something special not just with our skill, but because we all get along and everyone respects everybody."

Freshman Kenden Slattery, who often starts alongside McInerney, has also played his way into a starting role with senior Ryan Ron and junior Jimmy Burris.

That stacked lineup has, as expected, bred plenty of unbridled confidence among the Cougars.

"If we play our own game we can beat everyone with the players we have," Darland said. "I don't think it should even be a competition if we play up to our team's ability. Hopefully that is the case as long as we keep working hard."

With so much talent on his team, Sawaia welcomes the high expectations, but he knows that skill alone will not win Coronado's coveted first state title.

"It doesn't matter what you talk about, it's how you perform at the right time in May," Sawaia said. "I love our chances, but it will be a big hurdle. I try to stress to them that they can get improve every day."

One potentially major obstacle in Coronado's quest for a team championship is the location of the 2009 tournament, which will be held May 20-21 at the Resort at Red Hawk in Sparks -- the home course for the 2007 state champions Spanish Springs High of Reno.

Even with a hostile road course awaiting them at the state tournament, Sawaia is confident that his returning players, as well as newcomers McInerney and Slattery, will turn last year's disappointment into a motivational advantage.

"They remember the feeling, trust me," Sawaia said. "They want to win this for themselves, but also for all the alumni who continue to stay close with the program. They are very business-like at practice and have really come together for one common goal."

Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or steve.silver@lasvegassun.com.