ROCHELLE — Dominic Williams had been playing golf for a few years, but it wasn’t until this fall that he had the opportunity to compete for the Rochelle Hubs. Williams has already found himself in the varsity lineup, and the senior stepped up in a big way when Rochelle tried for its first Interstate 8 Conference win of the season against the Plano Reapers on Wednesday.

Playing out of the No. 4 varsity spot, Williams carded his best nine-hole round of the season, shooting 45 and helping the Hubs to a 171-216 victory over Plano. It was the lowest team score of the fall for Rochelle (3-2, 1-2 Interstate 8), which had four players well under 50.

“I kept my head down and I focused on keeping a smooth stroke during my follow-through,” Williams said. “I thought that helped me a lot today… I feel like my short game within 100 yards is really solid and I’ve been getting a lot of my chips on the green. I’m looking to continue working on my putting and avoiding slices with my driver. I know I can always improve.”

The Hubs were back at Fairways Golf Course in Rochelle on Wednesday, and senior Reese Kirk took advantage of the familiar territory, recording the best round of his high school career (38) and the lowest score of the match. Senior Megan Thiravong followed with 41 for the Hubs, while sophomore Griffin Ohlinger rounded out Rochelle’s top varsity players with a 47. 

“It was nerve-racking toward the end of the round,” Kirk said. “I was hitting my driver down the fairway on each hole and my putting was near perfect. I had some tough shots from the middle of the fairway, but my chipping was great today. It wasn’t until the seventh hole that I realized I was even for the round. When I birdied to bounce back from a bogey, I knew I could do it.”

Rochelle continues to trend in the right direction, lowering its conference average to 180.7 after two scores in the 180s against Ottawa and Kaneland this past week. With Kirk, Thiravong and Ohlinger consistently scoring well, the Hubs have been looking for a fourth player to emerge in the varsity lineup, and it appears that Williams may be that player.

“I’ve been having a great time,” Williams said. “We have a good team with a lot of potential. If we can continue playing solid golf, I feel that we can have a really good season this year.”

MARK ROLFING CUP

Rochelle competed in the DeKalb High School's annual Mark Rolfing Cup at Kishwaukee Country Club on Monday, finishing sixth out of eight teams with a final score of 379. Seniors Reese Kirk and Megan Thiravong shot the top two scores for the Hubs, carding 87 and 88, respectively. Sophomore Griffin Ohlinger added 95 for Rochelle.