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Washington High School boys’ golf coach Jim Kozuch has been instructing student-athletes in the sport for around a decade. So when he sees talent, he recognizes it.

This season’s Pam Pack squad is off to a good start, racking up some wins and leading the Eastern Plains Conference standings overall. The goal of this season’s team is much like the others Kozuch has coached in the past: win the league title and finish as a team among the top three in the regional to advance to the state championships. Individual play will also be crucial to get players in that part of the state championships, too.

“I think now that we’ve got more consistent weather, we’ve just got guys that are more into it now,” Kozuch said. “It’s tough when it’s cold and wet out there. And now, it’s our guys, we’re showing up every day.

“We’re putting in a good hour and a half, two hours of practice every day. And I think everybody’s moving in the right direction.”

Seniors Ayden Yates and Oliver Thomas have been doing their part to anchor a successful Pam Pack squad. Mix in the rest of the team — all of which have had success at P.S. Jones Middle School under the direction of coach Lane Raper — and you’ve got a mix of talent and potential that’s working hard to find success.

“Yeah, for myself, I’ve been pretty slow,” Yates said. “But all together as a team, we’ve been pretty good. (0:30) We’ve done pretty good as a team.

“We’ve got a good-sized team, and we got a couple freshmen and sophomores that can keep on playing, and a junior too.”

Thomas agreed that the team got off to a slow start but has made up ground and is continuing to play better with each match and conference meet.

“I started out high 90s, got down to the 80s, and then got low 80s,” Thomas said. “So I’m building, that’s what I wanted to do, and it shows that we can do it and that we’re able to get down and lower and lower and lower by regionals. So that’s what we’re focused on.

“So if we can build up and get better by regionals, make it to states, that’s all we’re focused on. And we got freshmen that are willing to play, willing to come out and practice every day, so that’s all we can ask for.”

Kozuch said having a middle school program has helped develop talent that continues to get better when they arrive to play for the Pam Pack. It’s all part of the overall buildup that happens during the season: get better, make regionals and see what success leads to after that.

“So yeah, I mean, you just gotta set small goals,” Kozuch said. “And the first one would be to win our conference. We haven’t done that in a couple of years. And then hopefully, if we win the conference, we’ll get our whole team into regionals. And then top three teams in regionals will make it to states.

“So then, obviously, the goal is to be top three in the region. And then just to get the states, to have the experience. Just have a great time.”