Paul Croghan seems to wear many hats at Carson High School. In addition to teaching math, Croghan coaches both the boys and girls golf teams, and in between, serves as head coach of Carson's girls basketball program.
And don't be surprised to hear him reciting some history lessons today before the start of the Northern 4A Region Girls Golf Tournament in Reno. Start with chapter one - Croghan will want his senior-laden lineup Senators to remember how they played in last year's postseason.
"We actually played our best golf in zone and state last year," he said. "Wooster had beaten us consistently all season, but we beat them at zone and ended up third."
The Senators will, at the very least, need to duplicate that third-place finish if they want to earn a return state trip because only three teams will advance past today's regional, which is scheduled for a 10 a.m. tee-off at Washoe Golf Course. In past years, four teams have qualified for the state finals, but with the current format, at least one contender is going to end up having to stay home.
"It's been close all season between Galena, Wooster, Reno and ourselves," Croghan said. "The four of us have been in the top-four every time and there's been about a 30-shot range separating all of us, so it could be pretty close. And there are a couple of other teams out there that could sneak in and make things interesting."
The Carson girls are coming off their best outing of the season - perhaps their best ever - after posting a 450 total to finish second behind Galena at Sierra Sage during the final conference regular season match last week.
"That's the best score we've had since I've been coaching the girls," Croghan said. "Four girls shot in the 80's, and I've never had a (girls) team do that, either. That's pretty good, and hopefully, that means we're hitting our stride at the right time."
Seniors Cassidy Baxter, Megan Mulvaney, Sara Liveratti, Christy Upton and Katie Morton have all been here before. This will be the fourth postseason trip for both Baxter and Upton and the third for Mulvaney. The sixth member of Carson's lineup is freshman Ciarra Christian.
Reno's Nicole Felesina, Wooster's Aislyn Nelson, Fallon's Darby Detomasi and Galena's Chandini Gill. Gill shot 78 to finish second at last year's Northern 4A tournament held at Silver Oak Golf Course in Carson City. Galena won the 1999 Northern title and finished fourth at state.
Upton shot 93, Mulvaney 94 and Baxter 95 to help Carson earn its third-place finish at the Northern 4A tournament.
Now, for a second history lesson. Croghan well remembers what happened back in May when Carson's boys team lost a tie-breaker to go to state after the Senators' sixth player was signed an incorrect score card and was disqualified.
"This very well could come down to the No. 6, and yes, we will have a little session beforehand to discuss how important it is to do everything the right way," Croghan said.
