Aiming for Above-Par Year

Experienced Falcons Look to Defend Titles

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Briar Woods Coach Bob Vitti stood behind a row of lanky polo shirt-clad golfers as they hammered balls onto the driving range Tuesday at the Brambleton golf course. Hands clasped behind his back, Vitti surveyed the newest crop of Falcon golfers.

In between 4-iron swings, one of Vitti’s seniors asked a question about club selection.

"Hit it with a two-by-four if you want," Vitti said. "Just shoot a 72."

On the second and final day of Briar Woods team tryouts in Ashburn, the third-year coach kept things loose. Perhaps he can afford to, as head of the team that won the Virginia AA Dulles District regular-season and tournament titles along with the Region II championship.

With a deep, experienced squad that returns seven seniors from last year’s state tournament team, Vitti can allow his players’ talent to carry them. But he’s there to offer a helpful word or two when they slice a ball into the trees or drop one in the bunker.

"He doesn’t focus too much on fundamentals or technique and swings but on the mental part of the game and focusing on the course," senior Michael Birmingham said. "He seems to know what to say when you’re playing poorly, good or great. He really gives us a mental edge."

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Briar Woods senior Spenser Burcak watches the flight of his ball during a Tuesday morning practice at Brambleton Golf Course. Burcak is one of eight returning seniors from the Falcons' 2007 state tournament team. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods senior Michael Birmingham warms up on the driving range at Brambleton Golf Course before practice on Tuesday. Birmingham, who helped lead the Falcons' to back-to-back Dulles District tournament titles, is the reigning individual district champion. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods golf coach Bob Vitti chats with senior Spencer Burcak at Tuesday's practice at Brambleton Golf Course. Vitti led the Falcons to Dulles District and Region II tournament titles last season as well as the school's first state tournament appearance. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods senior Carl Brendes follows through on his shot at the driving range during Tuesday's practice at Brambleton Golf Course. Brendes is one of eight returning seniors from the Falcons' back-to-back Dulles District tournament champion teams. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods senior Michael Birmingham warms up on the driving range at Brambleton Golf Course before practice on Tuesday. Birmingham, who helped lead the Falcons' to back-to-back Dulles District tournament titles, is the reigning individual district champion. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods Coach Bob Vitti shrugs off his first shot from the driving range during Tuesday's practice as Brambleton Golf Course. Vitti, in his third year as the Falcons' coach, has led his team to back-to-back Dulles District tournament titles and a state tournament appearance in 2007. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods seniors T.J. Bailey (left) and Carl Brendes (front) follow through on their shots at the driving range during Tuesday's practice at Brambleton Golf Course. Bailey and Brendes are two of seven returning seniors from the Falcons' back-to-back Dulles District tournament champion teams. (Matt Brooks)

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Briar Woods senior Spenser Burcak practices his putting during a Tuesday morning practice at Brambleton Golf Course. Burcak is one of eight returning seniors from the Falcons' 2007 state tournament team. (Matt Brooks)

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Birmingham, last year’s Dulles District and Region II individual champion, anchors a loaded Briar Woods squad that is favored to repeat as district champion. With him and the other returning four-year players — T.J. Bailey, Carl Brendes, Spenser Burcak, Ethan Ochs, Robbie Mitchell and Nick Tyskowski — and several talented underclassmen, the Falcons are also determined to return to the state tournament and improve on last season’s seventh-place finish.

Blacksburg took home last year’s title, shooting 32 strokes better than second-place Cave Spring (470) and 45 ahead of Briar Woods (483).

"It was kind of a reality check," Brendes said. "We were looking to place high, but we kind of got our butts handed to us. We didn’t play our best, and they whooped up on us. That motivated us to work really hard over the summer to get better, and we’re looking to do better this year."

It was a long six-hour bus ride back from Bluefield, the site of last year’s state tournament, giving team members time to assess their performances. The following week, several of the boys were back on their home course — just a 2-wood shot from their school — ironing out their weaknesses and preparing for the coming season.

"They’re just individually dedicated," Vitti said. "I’ve got two pairs of brothers, so there’s your start — they’re always trying to beat one another. And then I’ve got seven seniors, so they’re all competing with each other. Now I’ve got a freshman who’s shooting right up there at the top, so they want to make sure he doesn’t move too far ahead. There’s a ton of competition internally that’s all healthy, and it helps you hone your game."

The freshman he’s referring to is Ochs’s younger brother, Adam, who surprised everyone with a team-low aggregate score of 143 in two days of tryouts.

"We played 18 holes yesterday; we were done at about 2 or 3 and he comes back out, hits some more balls and then goes and plays another nine,” Vitti said. “I think he said he shot a 39. He said, ‘Yeah, I had to work on a few things.’ Well there you go. He’s a freshman, and he played another nine holes on the first day of tryouts to ‘work on a few things.’ That makes me think we’ve got a pretty good team."

With Freedom making big strides last year and Loudoun County and Broad Run in the mix, another undefeated run to the district title is far from guaranteed for the Falcons. But with their first taste of state competition still fresh, they are motivated to return. And the seven seniors who have built the Briar Woods program from the ground up do not want anything less.

"We made it to state last year, and the goal this year is simple: We want to win it," Burcak said. "We want to beat every team we play and win every tournament we compete in. This year we’re looking to be the best."

Added Birmingham: "We want to win it, but we have to play to our potential at each level of competition. And that all starts here with practice — hitting balls, finding your weaknesses and improving your game."

Tagged: Brambleton Golf Course, Briar Woods High School, golf, high school sports

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