Viera girls enter conference as reigning state golf champs

Viera High girls golf coach Greg Ford didn’t hedge as his team approached the beginning of postseason play this week. He has his entire lineup returning from the 2014 Class 3A state championship team.

“Obviously, our goals stay the same, and we’re a better team than last year,” Ford said. “We still have the mindset that we want to win it all.”

Cape Coast Conference boys teams will play today, followed by the girls Tuesday, at Mallards Landing Golf Course in Melbourne. Viera is the defending champion for both. Both individual champs also return for the Viera teams, Dayna Owens for the girls and Calvin Sierota for the boys.

Ford’s team has played four 18-hole rounds this season, as they will do in the CCC event. Their best round is 306.

“We feel, as a team, if we shoot 309 or 310, we haven’t played our best,” he said. “We would feel that we had left shots on the course. We feel that we can shoot in the 290s if everybody plays the way they should.”

Photos: High school bowling at Brunswick Harbour Lanes

At the top of the lineup are Taylor Rajeski and Sophie Liu, seniors who have committed to sign with Division I schools. Rajeski, bound for South Carolina, was as optimistic as her coach after the team shot a 6-under-par 138 during a nine-hole round at Baytree National on Wednesday.

“We know what we’re up against, and we all believe, if we play our game, we’re OK,” she said. “Last year, we didn’t shoot 6-under.”

Liu, who will play for Iowa beginning next year, said attention to self by each of the Hawks would make the unit successful.

“The way we’re playing, we’re just focusing on what we’re doing. We know we’ve done it before. I just try to focus on myself and trying to get better each day, and I think that’s what the team is doing.”

In addition to Liu and Rajeski, Samantha Brimhall and defending conference champ Owens are key returnees from last year’s state win.

The team will play two more 18-hole rounds this weekend at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach before the District 16-3A tournament at Royal St. Cloud on Oct. 12.

The girls 3A tournament will be Nov. 3-4 at Mission Inn and Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills. Viera, which won the 2A girls title in 2010, will hope to play for its third.

MIC playing makeup game on Monday

Merritt Island Christian’s game against Landmark Christian, postponed by lightning on Sept. 25, will be played today. The game will kick off at 5 p.m.

High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/