Shelby golf enters the season with high hopes, as Tigers’ coach Fred Inglis believes this team may be the most talented of the nine he has helmed.
The Tigers had no room for error last year, with only four players, but still managed to take third place in the West Michigan Conference Rivers led by returning junior Titan Carter. Carter was WMC Rivers medalist each of his first two seasons and finished 14th in the state finals last year.
“Titan continues to grow physically and mentally,” Inglis said. “He amazes me with his incredible driving accuracy and length, but there’s no weak part of his game. There is no reason to believe Titan won’t excel even more this year.”
The Tigers will have double the Carters on the roster this year, as Titan’s brother Ivan is joining the team as a freshman. Like Titan, Ivan has honed his skills at the youth level and Inglis believes he’s prepared to compete at a high level immediately.
Not to be lost in the shuffle of the Carter brothers, though, is junior Rafael Davis, who achieved all-WMC Rivers honors a year ago and was only five strokes from reaching state himself.
“I can see his determination this year to join Titan as a state finalist,” Inglis said. “I expect Rafael to be a team leader for the six newcomers.”
Yes, six new faces are on the Tiger team this year, a far cry from the four-player roster of 2025. Ivan Carter is one, but five other first-timers are on the team, and only one of them - Weston Eitniear - is a freshman. Seniors Max Hagstrom and Jerry Ross will close out their Tiger high school days on the links, and juniors Ryan Schouten and Kasey Oberlin also will compete.
“It would be unfair to ask the other five members to play at the same level as TItan, Rafael and Ivan, but seniors Max Hagstrom and Jerry Ross are part of the Shelby football team, and their athletic and competitive spirit should quickly elevate their progress,” Inglis said.
If Hagstrom and Ross are able to grab the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the varsity lineup, the No. 6 position should come down to Schouten and Oberlin, with Eitniear putting in the time to be part of that mix in the near future.
The depth Shelby now has this year, along with strength at the top of the lineup, should make the Tigers a conference contender and potentially a team to keep an eye on when the regionals tee off.
“Titan, Rafael, and Ivan will be as strong as any top three golfers in the league this season and unlike last year, there are five teammates,” Inglis said. “If any one of them reaches their full potential, Shelby should be competing for the Rivers Division title.”
