Golf could also be a person sport on the professional stage, however in highschool it’s a workforce sport.
For the Bishop Moore boys, that mantra goes past working collectively to win a match or match.
The Hornets’ prime golfer, based mostly on iWanamaker.com rankings, is sophomore Jack Mokris. He completed first within the Lakewood Ranch Invitational on Sept. 5-6 with rounds of 68 and 67, and positioned third in final weekend’s Wolverines vs. the World match with matching rounds of 69.
However managing 18 holes on a sizzling Florida day for Mokris entails greater than avoiding hazards and making putts.
In March 2022, as a sixth grader, he was identified with Kind 1 juvenile diabetes. That got here after his dad and mom, who each have medical careers, acknowledged the indicators. His father, Patrick, is a dentist, and mom JoAnn is a licensed nurse.
“I misplaced some weight and was ingesting like 10 bottles of water a day in school,” Jack Mokris mentioned. “We handle it with a sensor (on the again of the arm) monitoring my blood sugar. Going low (on sugar) is without doubt one of the worst emotions possible. I’ve to take insulin each time I eat. I’ve to eat stuff I don’t need to eat, and I can’t eat stuff I need to eat.”
That’s what somebody with Kind 1 diabetes offers with each day. When taking part in aggressive golf is thrown into the combination, it’s not all in regards to the hours of observe and competitors.
Hornets coach Marvin Snyder described it completely.
“It’s a full-team effort,” he mentioned. “It takes a workforce to observe his numbers and being in fixed communication, from dad and mom to grandparents to coaches. The golf workforce is a household.”
Moreover the conventional coolers and luggage of meals and drinks for the golfers, the Hornets have somebody in a golf cart with “Jack’s backpack,” which has further drinks and snacks distinctive to his diabetes administration.
“Gummies style higher, however glucose tablets work sooner,” Mokris mentioned.
“It’s a recreation inside a recreation making an attempt to play golf nicely, however handle my blood sugar,” he mentioned. “You’d be amazed at how briskly blood sugar goes from excessive to low.”
It helps to have a close-knit workforce that’s studying to jell along with 4 sophomores and three juniors.
One in every of Mokris’ teammates simply joined the workforce this season, however he has been Mokris’ buddy for some time.
Noah Manly, additionally a sophomore, grew up in Winter Park and toured Bishop Moore as an eighth grader however then made the transfer to Oklahoma as a ninth grader.
“I’ve recognized Jack for 4 to 5 years earlier than we moved to Oklahoma for a 12 months and a half,” mentioned Manly, who completed third within the Lakewood Ranch match after a first-round rating of 66. “I moved again and Jack and I performed in the identical match in Alabama final summer time.”
Mokris returned to aggressive golf earlier than his freshman 12 months, because of his older brother. Packy Mokris graduated final 12 months and now performs for Rollins Faculty.
Jack Mokris hadn’t performed severe golf for a few years till he joined Packy in a summer time 2024 match. It was that day once they determined: Let’s play this sport collectively.
“I assume I sort of changed Packy as a (workforce) chief, nevertheless it’s extra like Noah and I are co-leaders,” Jack Mokris mentioned.
Mokris and Manly lead a younger, deep squad that hopes to enhance on its fourth-place end within the Class 2A state match final season.
Cooper Welch, a junior, has a low 18-hole spherical of 74. Brody Collins, a junior, shot 72 within the Wesley Chapel Wildcat invite. Sophomore Peter Sirianni shot 76 within the Lakewood Ranch occasion.
“We all know what the boys are able to, we simply want them to all present up on the identical day,” Snyder mentioned. “We need to be taking part in our greatest golf on the finish of the season.”
Postseason play for the Hornets tees off with the 2A District match at Mount Dora Nation Membership on Oct. 28.