The past two seasons have been an incremental climb for Ethan Luecke. The Warrenton junior has experienced plenty of success, dashed with occasional postseason letdown. “You’ve got to forget about the past and move forward,” said Barton. This spring Luecke is hoping to cross another threshold, after falling one spot of earning a medal at the MSHSAA Championships in 2012. He has narrowly missed qualifying as a freshman and finished 16th last season. “He sets his goals, and we’re going to do everything we can to help him reach those goals,” asserted Coach Rich Barton. Luecke will play the No. 1 spot for the Warriors, who have chosen to play more fewer matches and more tournaments this season. “This year we switched our focus from playing daily matches to playing more tournaments,” said Barton. Warrenton also sees a shift in its conference opponents after a GAC realignment. “With our conference being smaller, I felt it would be more important to get more 18 hole matches and get tournament tough,” said Barton. “St. Charles West will definitely be the favorite.” Luecke returns the Warriors’ most experience. “He’s very consistent down the middle from tee to green,” said Barton. “He worked hard in the offseason, so it will be exciting to see his progress.” Junior Chase Nelson will play the No. 2 role after a breakout campaign in 2012. “Chase seems a lot more relaxed on the golf course this year,” said Barton. “He’s really excited about the upcoming season and has grown up a little bit.” He says Nelson needs to focus on consistency, after playing well through the majority of several tournaments last year before allowing a few troublesome holes to alter his final tally. Senior T.J. Lafaver falls into the No. 3 position during his third year in the program. His success may depend on how well he can polish his putting game. “He’s worked really hard at improving,” said Barton. “He’s got to refine his short game, and if he can do that, I think he’ll be able to make big strides this year.” The No. 4 spot belongs to junior Luke Hawley, who has gradually worked his way into a starting position after garnering valuable experience on the junior varsity level. “He had a really good round at districts last year, and I think he’s excited about filling that fourth spot this year,” said Barton. “He really takes the game serious and is really focused.” The Warriors’ No. 5 varsity position is up for grabs but will likely be filled by either veteran John Peper or newcomer Curtis Bauer, who are both juniors. “We’ve seen a lot of improvement out of John,” said Barton. “After John and Curtis, the rest of those kids will get a lot of valuable experience on the JV level.” Barton says the focus is on individual improvement, which will in turn generate team success. “Team wise want to compete on daily basis and get better,” said Barton. “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time when it comes to district and sectional play."