WIAA Golf: Case, Racine Lutherans, Union Grove represented in Wisconsin Rapids | Prepare for sport

Case’s Sam Nolan waits to hit the second hole of the Red Course during the WIAA Division 1 Case Sectional at Ives Grove Golf Links in Yorkville on Tuesday. Nolan has the lowest scoring average among the Eagles, who play the opening game in the state tournament on Monday.

GREGORY SHAVER, Journal Times file photo

PETER JACKEL peter.jackel @ journaltimes, com

With all due respect to state rankings, Jerry Kupper does not trust them very much.

Before the two-day WIAA Boys State golf tournament on Monday, his case team received only a few honorable mentions votes in the Division 1 poll. And yet the longtime coach will have his guys compete against pretty much anyone else.

Led by junior Sam Nolan, who took position # 1 on the team after a big jump in his game, the Eagles have proven they are game-proven.

They won the Racine County and Southeast Conference tournaments. They won five of the eight Southeast Conference mini-meetings, finishing second twice and third once.

And they came second in both the regional and the section tournaments, but Case is so resilient: After losing nine shots to Muskego in the Franklin Regional, the Eagles finished five shots better than Muskego in the Case Sectional.

Nolan

Even if Case won’t be among the best-placed teams in Division 1 on Monday and Tuesday, Kupper doesn’t care. He knows what Nolan, Brayden LoPiccolo, Ryan Doerflinger, Jack Boscher, Jason Nelsen and Parker Zigas are capable of on the links.

“They don’t know and I think they don’t care,” said Kupper when asked if his players feel disadvantaged in the poll. “You just go out there and play golf. When you’re on the leaderboard, everyone looks at Kettle Moraine and Marquette.