Osage earns first boys’ state team golf berth

By Kristi Nixon

CARROLL — When Leo Klapperich walked off of Carroll Country Club’s course, he sat down and hung his head.

He had finished a round of 83, thinking that he hadn’t done enough for Osage in its Class 2A District final in an effort to go to state.

Turns out, he had nothing to worry about.

When his teammate’s scores started to roll in, particularly freshman Heath Voigt (78) and senior Jayden Scharper (79), his spirits lifted.

“It’s really exciting,” Klapperich said. “I didn’t feel confident at all after my round. Usually, I contribute to the team and I still did today, just didn’t feel good about my round, but we were still able to pull through.”

A lot of help came from Scharper, who only recently returned from a separated shoulder to help the team make its first-ever team trip to state, at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames on May 23-24.

“At first, it was a struggle,” Scharper said. “I could feel a difference. There was tightness and soreness. It wasn’t just my left shoulder, it was my left pec. I had to ice it every night and stretch it every night. But after that it has gotten better and it feels great.

“I don’t even know, it means a lot; it’s crazy. I’m glad to be here and glad to be able to come back.”

Coach Eric Goddard had to remind Klapperich that the team is deep and could overcome an off-day from the team’s No. 1 golfer.

“We’re a deep team and we needed it today,” coach Goddard said. “The fact that he (Leo) wasn’t one of our top-three scorers shows how deep a team we are. He felt really down and would have felt bad that if his score was the reason we didn’t move on.

“When we left here last year I told him the reason why having a deep team is important. If you have an off-day as an individual, your teammates are the reason why we may move on.”

The full story will be available in the May 24 print edition of the Enterprise Journal.