Hi All,

The boys' golf team kicked off their 2026 campaign yesterday with a scrimmage against OAHS. While OAHS took the team victory, the results were a mixed bag of individual highlights. Ricky Gonzalez dominated the field, leading all players with a commanding 11-shot margin over the second-best score. We anticipate a very successful year for both him and the Saints.

Rafael Manzano returns as the only other veteran from last year’s CIF qualifying team. Joining the roster this year is Joshua Chambers, a baseball transfer from OAHS. Though he has some casual experience with family, this was his first competitive outing; as he splits time with baseball, we look forward to his contributions during the league season.

Rounding out the team are Daniel Aguirre, Alan Cruz, and Huberto Villanueva, all of whom joined just two weeks ago with no prior golf experience. I was incredibly proud of their performance. While they hit the kind of shots you'd expect from beginners, they also flashed real potential. Most importantly, they improved as the 15-hole match progressed, saving their best shots for the final holes.

A standout moment occurred on the par-3 third hole: Daniel landed his tee shot perfectly, just 12 feet from the pin. Defying his lack of experience, he lagged his first putt to within inches and tapped in for his first-ever par—a fantastic recovery after two frustrating opening holes. It will be a joy to watch these athletes evolve from hitting balls to truly becoming golfers.

Next week, we face off with Righetti and Cabrillo.  Wish us luck and progress as our opponents play in a higher league than us.

Jay Cheney

The Lompoc wind was out in full force yesterday, but the Saints boys golf team showed true grit, battling through their first 18-hole match of the season against a veteran Cabrillo squad. While Cabrillo’s top player led the field with a 76, the Saints were led by Ricky Gonzalez, who placed second overall with a strong performance. Rafael Manzano also showed resilience; despite being in the process of fine-tuning his swing mechanics, he managed to post a solid score consistent with his career average.

The highlights of the day belonged to our three rookies—Daniel Aguirre, Alan Cruz, and Huberto Villanueva—who all achieved a rare feat: posting personal bests in the same round. These young men are evolving rapidly. In just a few weeks, they have moved from simply hoping to hit the ball anywhere, to executing shots that would make a veteran proud.

On the daunting 15th hole, Alan Cruz faced every golfer’s nightmare: a tee shot over a lake. Drawing on Tuesday’s practice, Alan calmly striped his ball down the middle, clearing the water by 50 yards and rolling out to a 200-yard drive. On the very next hole, Daniel and Huberto achieved a rare feat, the "back-to-back-to-back" challenge on the par-five 16th, each of them stringing together three consecutive quality shots—a massive milestone for novice players.

While short-game struggles near the green impacted the final scores, the upward trajectory of this team is undeniable. On the ride home, all three rookies set an ambitious new goal: to beat their personal best in every match for the rest of the season.