For many programs, making it to the state finals can be a major accomplishment. Then there’s other
programs like Big Rapids, who have made the trip a tradition over the last decade.

The Cardinal program qualified for the 2022 finals with their Region 13 tournament victory at Houghton Lake on June 1. The team finished with a 322 team score, winning by only two strokes to second-place Traverse City St. Francis.

“We knew we were in one of the toughest divisions in D3,” Head coach Mark Posey said. “There were
five or six teams that we thought had a chance to make it out. Our overall record wasn’t really the
greatest since we weren’t winning a lot of tournaments, but we were going against the best teams in the state and that prepared us for the postseason.”

Individually, the Cardinals were led by senior Luke Welch with a third-place individual score of 76. Kyle Schroeder and Preston Younge followed with scores of 79, followed by Brendan Pippin (88) and Jack Ruggles (90).

When it comes to what makes the team so successful, there’s no question the players’ ability to step up is a major factor.

“We work a lot with the mental aspect of the game,” Posey said. “They’re good about knowing how to
bounce back and help each other.”

The Finals will take place Fri. June 10 and Sat. June 11 at The Fortress Golf Course in Frankenmuth. As
one of the tougher courses in Michigan, fast greens and narrow fairways can present challenges to even the state’s best players. Fortunately for the Cardinals, weeks of preparation and early visits to preview the course have given the team a good approach ahead of the final rounds.

“We are certainly going to have to be committed for how we want to play it. The course has some has
some really difficult holes standing from the tee box. We played a practice round there Monday and
we’ve pulled up the course on Google Earth and broke down each hole.”

With six straight regional titles and 17 straight conference titles, the Cardinals have come so close to
matching the 2008 glory as Division 3 State Champions. Since 2017, Big Rapids has finished as runner-up four consecutive years. While there have been incredible teams in the past, Coach Posey believes this group has the ability to get the job done.

“We build a program based on consistency. Our players do a great job putting in the work each and
every year. We have the goal of winning the state championship and that’s what we play for. This is
where the season begins.”