Prep Golf Preview: Harrisburg looks to start new chapter under Black

Posted August 15, 2015 11:00 pm

For nearly all of Steve Black's adulthood, he's been a teacher.

Black retired recently after 20 years as a teacher for the state of Illinois at the Illinois Youth Correctional Facility in Harrisburg.

With a little time on his hands and the primary operator of Shawnee Hills Country Club, Black accepted the Harrisburg High School boys and girls' golf coaching opening, vacated by Michael Tison after last year.

With his background in teaching, Black said he is looking forward to a new chapter, one that will include helping grow the game of golf for aspiring student-athletes at HHS.

"I think its going to be fun and its going to be time consuming, but I knew that going in," Black said. "I didn't have any problems with that. It's refreshing to be around a lot of young people."

Black played on the Harrisburg High School golf team for Gene Bland in the mid to late 1960's.

He's been around the game of golf almost as much as he has been a teacher. Those two combined, he's hoping will be beneficial to the current crop of Bulldogs.

On the boys' side, Black has five seniors, Brady DeBose, Jacob Mills, Bryce Beal, Ben Fowler and Patrick Bittle. Garrett Jenkins is the lone junior and Camden Schiff is the only sophomore.

Jenkins, Bittle and Fowler all return with playing experience for Black, who is hoping to find that fourth score to complete the roundup.

"I think with the boys, I'm going to have three players that are upper classmen that will be very good players for us. I think the success of the team as far as wins or losses are going to depend on our bottom three players and one of them coming up with a pretty good score for that fourth score.

"Overall, the top three, Ben, Patrick and Garrett, those three are experienced, who grew up around the game and are very good players."

Fowler has already picked up a couple of offers from a few schools, looking to continue his post-prep playing career, joining Ryan Williams, a 2015 graduate, who is playing for Union College in Jackson, Tenn.

Harrisburg Girls Golf Preview

The scenario is same for the Bulldogs girls golf program.

Two seniors, Alexa Burtis and Skylar Street return with match and tournament experience and will be the building blocks for Black, who has a pair of freshmen in Alli Ferrell and AnnaBella Robinson.

While the numbers are limited on the girls side, Black is still expecting just as much.

"I expect them to play some pretty good golf for us," Black said of Burtis and Street. "There again, we have two girls that are new to the program as both are freshmen, but I expect them to do okay.

"The success of the girls team is probably not going to be real good in the wins and loss, but I think Alexa and Skylar will play some good golf individually."

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.

Harrisburg High School Golf Schedules

Harrisburg Boys Golf Schedule 8-17 at Mt. Carmel 3 p.m. 8-18 MASSAC COUNTY 4 p.m. 8-20 at Carmi-White County 4:30 p.m. 8-22 at Anna-Jonesboro 8:30 a.m. 8-25 at West Frankfort 4 p.m. 9-1 at Hamilton County 4 p.m. 9-3 at Carterville 4 p.m. 9-9 at Eldorado 4 p.m. 9-10 at Marion 4 p.m. 9-11 at Carbondale 1 p.m. 9-14 WEST FRANKFORT 4 p.m. 9-15 DU QUOIN 4 p.m. 9-16 at Marion 1 p.m. 9-17 ELDORADO 4 p.m. 9-23 MT. VERNON 4 p.m. 9-24 at Benton 4 p.m. 9-28 at Herrin 4 p.m. 9-29 SIRR Championship* 9 a.m. 9-30 at Carbondale 4 p.m. 10-1 BENTON 4 p.m. * at Hickory Ridge Golf Course Harrisburg Girls Golf Schedule 8-17 at Mt. Carmel 3 p.m. 8-20 at Carmi-White County 4 p.m. 8-24 MT. CARMEL 4 p.m. 9-1 at West Frankfort 4 p.m. 9-3 at Carterville 4 p.m. 9-8 at West Frankfort 4 p.m. 9-15 MARION 4 p.m. 9-16 CARMI-WHITE COUNTY 4 p.m. 9-22 SIRR Championship* 9 a.m. 9-28 at Herrin 4 p.m. 10-1 ELDORADO 4 p.m. * at Hickory Ridge Golf Course

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