One ball, one swing, 168 yards. His mind was in shock as the golf ball soared through the air, bounced once and landed in the cup. Senior Daniel Boyd just hit a hole-in-one that would later contribute to a new school record for points in a match and a new individual school record with a four-under-par score. What a performance — from who?
Boyd is not a traditional West Shore student. He is homeschooled, one of three who have made their presence felt on the boy’s golf team this fall. Alongside sophomores Carter Samuels and Eli Rheaume, Boyd has become a key player on the Wildcats’
roster, which has started the season 7-1 and is eyeing a deep run into the post-season.
“I chose West Shore mainly because the course we play out of is 15 minutes from my house, and also with Carter coming in, and Eli and I staying for my senior year, I know that we can compete,” Boyd said. “It was definitely tough, especially knowing I
could go play for Viera, the state champion last year, but knowing that I get to play [No.] 1 seed at West Shore and still be on a competitive team, it seemed like the best decision.”
Samuels came in for his first year on the team with less experience. He has played for two years, compared to Boyd’s six, at Brevard Heat before opting to join the team. “I chose West Shore because I wanted to play with my friend, Danny, but I also did not want to play for a very big school like Viera this year so I could get a little more experience and be ready for the competition,” Samuels said.
Their decisions have already paid off. Boyd has earned Man of the Match honors five separate times so far, and Samuels picked one up against Holy Trinity. They both also contributed to the record-breaking match against Eau Gallie, in which the team beat the previous lowest combined score of 162, and won the match 161-209 on Sept. 16. The team beat that record twice more in the following matches, with the new school record officially 155 points. There are still five matches left, not including postseason.
“I’m just happy we have a team who can all celebrate accomplishing these things together,” Boyd said. “We have gotten so much better since my first year here, and hopefully we can keep improving.”
Coach Dave Kendall said he has been impressed with his team so far. He said this team is one of the best he has coached in his twelve years as the varsity coach.
“Danny and Carter are totally committed to improving their golf skills, besides playing for West Shore,” Kendall said. “They participate in tournaments and work with local golf professionals on a regular basis.”
This dedication to the team has not gone unnoticed by teammates.
“Last season we had four seniors on the golf team and they all left, but we’re still doing well,” sophomore Kavish Patel said. “Daniel and Carter are both really good. They have already helped us so much and I think they will benefit us more as the season goes on.”
Having homeschoolers on school sports rosters is becoming more common. Senate Bill 248, signed on May 21 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, now allows homeschoolers and students from schools without specific sports programs to play for any nearby public school. Previously, law had only allowed homeschoolers, not just any student, to do so.
“We have somewhere between 10 and 15 kids, called non-traditional students, that are going to be part of our athletic teams this year,” Athletic Director Tony Riopelle said. “I’m 50-50 on it. I think it’s cool that kids get the opportunity to play for any school and still go to the school that they want to. At the same time though, those students don’t really fit in, because no one sees them.”
Despite being “non-traditional,” Boyd and Samuels have both contributed to the Wildcats’ strong start, and they are on track to help the team to a winning season. During the Cape Coast Conference on Sept. 29, the team finished fourth overall, and Boyd finished sixth individually. Districts will take place on Oct. 27, after the finish of the regular season.
“We aim to be one of the top three teams in the conference and our district,” Kendall said. “We want to continue to improve and
compete with top teams like Viera and Morningside, and making it to regionals would be a great achievement.”
