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Damian Dottore. Sports. HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Playing for a championship that the Huntington Beach girls golf team never even dreamed about winning before has caused the Oilers to feel a bit different come tee time.

For once, they actually, a chance to finish first in the Sunset League, so now senior Maddie Anderson they actually get a bit nervous.

“It wasn’t like that a couple of years ago. We knew we were going to get crushed,” said Anderson, a four-year varsity player, who lost her first 24 matches. “This year is different. There is an excitement because we know we have a chance. Winning is possible.”

Lately, that’s all the Oilers have been dong.

On Tuesday, they posted their fifth consecutive victory, beating Sunset League rival Edison, 219-232 at Sea Cliff Country Club.

Ella Poljak, who recently set the school record for birdies in a match (3), posted a 4-over-par 40 on the front nine to lead the No. 8 Oilers (5-0). She has played five varsity matches so far in her freshman year at the school. She’s medaled in three of them.

“We have improved drastically. Even the mentality. Before we had no chance of winning, and I was just playing for fun. Now, it is cool,” Anderson said. “Golf has become a competition which I have never really had before.”

It was the first time Huntington Beach coach Doug Flint beat the Chargers since he took over the Oilers’ golf program three years ago.

“I am incredibly proud. They are so extremely deserving. I couldn’t pick a greater group of girls to root for,” he said. “They are great in the classroom, great people and great on the course.”

And the school is beginning to take notice. The principal, two assistant principals and the athletic director, Flint said, watched the first two holes the Oilers played on Tuesday.

“The visibility and the support that we have gotten on campus has been amazing,” Flint said.

A lot of that has to do with the Anderson and her teammate Stephanie Lakso rallying the troops in class.

“We have worked very hard to make it like a school thing where people want to join and play golf on their free time,” Lakso said.

Anderson has started a golf club – which has quite a few member she said – and she is going to schedule some scrambles for her and her friends.

All of their hard work can be seen on the roster. This is Flint’s fourth season coaching golf at Huntington Beach, and when he first took over the team, he had six girls in total, just enough to field a varsity team.

This year, more than 40 girls showed up to tryouts, giving them enough players for a frosh/soph, JV and a “B” varsity team.

“A lot of that has to do with the coaches too. They are incredible. They put so much effort into making this their life,” Lasko said.