麻豆映画传媒

By Ryan Schlehuber, MCC Sportswriter

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After last year鈥檚 success, in which his 麻豆映画传媒 Centurions men鈥檚 golf team tied for first place at regionals, Head Coach Doug Harkema knew his team was set up to be special this spring, especially after recruiting three players from Holt, who just so happen to all be related.听

Ethan Johnson was the first of the Holt trio to sign with MCC, signing in the middle of last year, which was the program鈥檚 first official year. Johnson then coaxed his brother, Zach, to join the team and, before this spring, their cousin, Mason Blair was recruited, as well.听

Harkema said just getting Ethan to commit was a big win for the MCC golf program.听

鈥淗e鈥檚 a wonderful guy, an excellent player, someone I would say is the glue guy of the team,鈥� Harkema said.听

Last spring, Ethan finished in second place in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association鈥檚 Western Conference as a true freshman with a 76 average.听

Being able to recruit all three of the Holt golfers was like a home run for Harkema.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e a second-year program, so getting them, I knew we were going to have something special,鈥� he said.听

Last fall, Harkema鈥檚 new team did well enough to tie for first place at the NJCAA Division II Regionals, however, because it was under a mandatory one-year probation, being a newly formed program, the Centurions were unable to move onto the National Junior College Athletic Association鈥檚 championship.听

This year, with the probationary handcuffs off, the Centurions flexed their talents and skills, tearing through the entire spring schedule finishing no worse than second place, collecting four first-place finishes, including its regular-season finale at home, at Glenkerry Golf Course in Greenville, April 25. The team has aspirations of qualifying for nationals.听

In each meet this spring, one of either Mason or either of the Johnson brothers鈥� names were usually at the top in individual play.听

鈥淎ll three are great players. They鈥檙e a riot,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淭hey care so much about what we鈥檙e doing and how we鈥檙e doing it.鈥�听

Though Ethan didn鈥檛 start taking golf seriously until he was a sophomore in high school, he said the sport has always been a part of his family鈥檚 lives.听

鈥淢y dad and grandpa were always out there golfing,鈥� said Ethan, a sophomore. 鈥淚t started off with me, Zach and Mason playing putt-putt golf with them.鈥�听

Ethan said his father, Scott, and his grandfather, Tom Lazaroff, who passed away earlier this spring, never forced the sport on him or his brother when they were growing up.听

鈥淥nce I got into it, they gave me all the tricks and secrets they knew,鈥� he said.听听

After winning the MCC Invitational, where Ethan finished fourth overall with a score of 70, he remembered his grandfather, who he said would鈥檝e loved seeing him, Zach and Mason playing together once again on the golf course.听

鈥淗e would have had a big ol鈥� smile if he saw us here today,鈥� Ethan said. 鈥淚t wouldn鈥檛 have mattered if we shot 85 or 70, he鈥檇 just be happy that we鈥檙e together.鈥�听

Ethan said his grandfather鈥檚 favorite thing was to just be out on the golf course with family and watching his grandsons play the sport he loved.听

鈥淚 wish he was here for one more tournament,鈥� Ethan said. 鈥淭hat would鈥檝e been nice.鈥�听

Mason, 19, a freshman at MCC, fondly remembers the annual family summer vacation to Pentwater with the Johnsons, where they would play putt-putt golf. Mason said after starting to play on an actual golf course with his father, he began playing with Zach and Ethan, usually daily with Zach.听

鈥淚 love everything about golf,鈥� Mason said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like team sports. I like being in my own mind. I just loved golf better.鈥�听

Zach said Mason has been his best friend 鈥渟ince birth,鈥� and when they played golf together, they were highly competitive.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to play with him,鈥� Zach said of Mason. 鈥淚 played with him in high school and it鈥檚 just been fun to keep going with that here.鈥�听

Zach, now a sophomore, originally planned to enroll at Olivet and play golf there, however, with the chance of being able to play with his brother again, and his cousin, the opportunity was too great to pass up. Zach and Ethan played one year together at Holt and Mason and Zach played together in high school.听

鈥淚t means a lot to me for them to be here with me,鈥� Zach said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just nice to be able to talk with them about everything in my life. It means a lot. They also support me with everything. They know what I鈥檓 going through and I know what they鈥檙e going through, so we help each other out that way.鈥�听

Mason said his main motivation to enroll at MCC was getting the chance to play with his cousins on the golf course once again.听

鈥淚 thought it was really cool that we could all play with each other again for another two years. It鈥檚 working out so far,鈥� he chuckled.听

Ethan called this season 鈥減erfect,鈥� with the chance to play with family and with the success the team has enjoyed on the course.听听

鈥淥nce they got on board with me, it鈥檚 been real fun,鈥� he said.听

Ethan and Zach agreed when they play together, either for fun or during actual meets, they are highly competitive with one another, which has kept them sharp throughout this season.听

鈥淚 want to beat him every time,鈥� laughed Ethan. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e supportive of each other. We鈥檝e had some good battles, actually all three of us have.鈥�听

That family competitiveness has spilled over to the entire team and Ethan believes it has strengthened the bond between the Holt boys and the rest of the players.听

鈥淲e feel like they鈥檙e family, too, now,鈥� Ethan said of teammates Ryan Clingenpeel, Jerald Brownell and Kenny Mitchell. 鈥淛ust because of all the time we鈥檝e spent together already, practicing and playing together. We play for one another and it makes it extra special and it gives you a little more of an edge.鈥�听

Zach agrees, stating he gets on his teammates just as he would with his brother or cousin.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e harder on ourselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we see someone not doing so well, practice-wise, we hold them accountable. We really don鈥檛 have a filter with each other.鈥�听

When Harkema assembled this team, he knew he had loads of talent and potential in his players, but he鈥檚 been pleasantly surprised with how well they鈥檝e bonded and how well they play with and for one another.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e a true team, but a lot goes into this when you鈥檙e recruiting, especially with a new program,鈥� Harkema said, adding he is now recruiting nationally. 鈥淏ut because of their success and the fact they took a chance on me and this school, we are set up to do really well. In a lot of ways, I鈥檓 blessed with how it has worked out, but it was a lot of hard work to get here.鈥�听