Kohl Mast shows he is a survivor in helping Pirates earn State berth
By Dave Mast
October 14, 2013
1509
Kohl Mast has been through the fire.
He is now enjoying the exhilaration of surviving the flames.
Two weeks ago, the Garaway junior was fairly certain that he was not going to be a part of the Garaway golf teams trip through the Sectional, District and hopefully State golf tournaments.
Having watched the past two years as teammates made their way to the State tournament to play at the highest level high school golf has to offer, Mast felt that this was his year, but he was watching it go down the drain as he struggled to the finish line, falling into that dreaded sixth man spot that starts throughout the year at the varsity level, only to be left behind once tournaments begin.
So how was it that Mast, a young man who was demoralized at the end of the regular season, believing he would again be left watching his teammates, found himself amidst a tense District tournament, eyeing a three-foot putt that would give him an 82, a super score for the fifth man, especially under such intense pressure?
For one, his coach, Ryan Taggart, never quit believing in him, and after a set of circumstances left him teeing it up as the Pirates fifth man, he would come through, first with an 84 at Sectionals, then with the 82 at Districts.
All season long our fifth man has come in with the fifth score, but today that young man stepped up big-time for us, said Taggart of Mast. Kohl did a tremendous job of staying in the present and not letting the pressure get to him, and he deserves every bit of that success for what he has come through.
Taggart even gave young freshman Ben Koshmeider, who ended up being that sixth man, a rousing pat on the back following Garaways second place finish, which allowed the Pirates to venture to the State tournament for the seventh straight season.
Ben, if it werent for you, we would not be where we are today, said Taggart to Koshmeider following their successful second place finish at Districts. You have pushed these guys, and made everyone better because of your effort.
Nobody knows that more than Mast, who was pushed the most by Koshmeiders meteoric rise as a freshman on a State team.
For Mast, the past two weeks have been a miniature season within a season, as he has endured great hardship and intense scrutiny. It has also been a time of great satisfaction as he has come through to help his team, giving credence to his coachs belief in him.
It has been a difficult two weeks, admitted Mast after his wonderful effort at Districts. Practice the past two weeks has been a challenge. Coach really put it to me and challenged me. It got to the point where I was just about crawling. There were times when I was really struggling and coach would ask me what I did, and I would have to tell him I didnt know what happened.
However, Taggart continued to trust his junior, and told him that since he was now on the tournament team at Sectionals, he was going to have to go all in to help his team.
Mast accepted that challenge, went back to the drawing board and has emerged a different player, with a new mind-set.
If the Sectional tournament was a huge lift, the first two holes at District were like a little slice of heaven.
Mast stormed out of the first four holes two under par.
Now it was on.
He knew that kind of a run wasnt going to last, so he settled into his game.
I got a little bit out of the present after the big start, but coach got me back to thinking about each shot, said Mast. All in all it was a lot of fun after a very challenging two weeks.
Now, as they prepare for State, Mast said the joy of practice and preparation will be great, but he knows that his team will work that much harder in preparation for a big two days, which has become as much of the Pirates golf season as opening day over the past seven years.
This is where the team gets the closest, going to State, said Mast. Ive been a part of it the last two seasons, on the outside looking in. I havent played in District or Sectionals, so this is a first for everything for me. Ive been sitting in the back seat waiting my turn, and its finally here.
Through the fire and through the flames, Kohl Mast endured, and came out the other side much better for it.
