Craig Daily Press

Photo by Jerry Raehal

Members of the 2007 Moffat County High School boys golf team. Front row, from left: Greg Blackstun, Taylor Branstetter, Ty DeGuelle, Thomas Noble, Nathan Hill and Sean Smith; back row, from left: coach Ken Harjes, Jake Steele, Nick Moyer, John Strahan, Alex McKey, Brodie Schulze and assistant coach Eric Hansen.

Sean Smith

Moffat County — It will come, just be patient.

That’s Moffat County High School golf coach Ken Harjes’ ploy to his team.

In his 27th year as coach, Harjes has seen a few things along the road, and with a green team like this year’s, Harjes knows for this year to be successful, patience is the key.

“We’re small in numbers. We don’t have some of the numbers we’ve had before,” he said. “But all the guys have some golf experience and know how to handle a golf club out here.”

With only one senior — Sean Smith — and no freshmen, the team is filled out mostly with sophomores and juniors.

Along with Smith, who attended a golf camp in South Carolina in early June as well as making the Yampa Valley Golf Course his second home through the summer, Harjes pointed to junior Nick Moyer as a strong player.

“I’ve been playing a pretty good game and shooting 70s,” Smith said. “I know a lot of people that are out there — what type of game they have. I just want to have a good season and make it to state.”

After that, Harjes said the team will be made up of players battling it out for those final two varsity positions.

“Right now those two are showing the most golf experience,” Harjes said. “I expect Sean to be a leader, for sure.”

With such a young team, Harjes said he hopes to be able to take at least one golfer to the state tournament.

With regional powerhouses Basalt, Montrose and Steamboat Springs set to make the region tough, Harjes said he’d look to Smith and Moyer to lead the team.

“I’d love to have at least one kid go to state,” Harjes said. “It’s going to be very tough with the inexperience we have and the Western Slope has some great golf. Basalt’s got a team that’s just very good. They’ve got three guys in low 70s.”