Northside’s golf team continued to roll with a St. Patrick’s Day win over Manteo. The Panthers shot 364 to the Redskins’ 389. Riley Vanstaalduienen topped all individuals with an 81 and Tucker Mooring placed second with an 83.

The team started off a bit slowly, but has come around well in its last couple of outings. Mooring, the team’s lone senior, and Vanstaalduinen have consistently been among the squad’s top two.

Northside has two freshmen on the team. Meanwhile, coach Jared Adams is hoping to see the younger Panthers learn that same consistency.

“A lot of the guys are learning to hit the ball. Now we just need to learn to score on the green,” he said, noting that sometimes it comes down to being less aggressive.

“Tucker is playing well right now and Riley’s playing good, but we’re going to need other guys on the team to step up and fill that No. 3 and 4 spot.”

That will make all the difference. Adams thinks consistency throughout the squad will help take them to the next level. His hope is for the team to shoot somewhere between 335 and 340 by the end of the year, which can take them far in the playoffs.

Adams said he’s seen improvement in Vanstaalduinen and fellow sophomore Hunter Williams.

“Riley is a good golfer,” Adams said. “He’s putting his skill sets together to his ability. He doesn’t try to hit the long ball or outdrive the guy he’s playing against. He hits the shot that is suitable for his game.”

The barometer early in the season has been a match with 4-A opponent Conley. Northside struggled when the two played one another.

“It was an eye-opener for our guys because they’re going to shoot in the low 300s,” Adams said. “That’s really good for high school golf. As a 1-A school, we don’t really see that level of competition when we play. Being able to experience that, they see what it takes to compete at golf at a high level.”

A rematch with Conley is slated for later in the season. The goal is for the Panthers to improve on their team score from the first time to the second. They know it will be tough to earn a win against that kind of competition. Adams simply hopes for a closer match.