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Golfers gun for top-two finish in MMC
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The Ceres High boys golf team will be competing in a new league this year. Ceres, Beyer, Davis, Downey, Johansen and Modesto formed the Modesto Metro Conference. They used to be members of the Central California Conference.

"All of the league matches are going to be tough," said Ceres coach Butch Mendonca. "Everybody is pretty balanced."

The top two teams in the MMC advance to the Sac-Joaquin South Delta Sub-Section tournament in May.

"It's going to be up for grabs," Mendonca said.

Mendonca has an experienced team. Four starters return from a season ago, including three seniors, Nick Wilcox, Jeff Warn and Chad Jantz, and one junior, Bobby McFarlane.

Wilcox, Warn and Jantz have been playing for Mendonca since they were freshmen.

"They're all capable of shooting low numbers," Mendonca said.

McFarlane is a second-year player.

"Bobby's getting better," Mendonca said.

Wilcox earned first-team, all-league honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior. This season, Wilcox, Beyer's Daniel Indelicato and Davis' Aaron Devenport will be vying for the Most Valuable Player award.

"Nick loves the game of golf," Mendonca said. "And he works at it real hard.

"He should be in the running for the MVP of the league."

Warn and Jantz fill the team's No. 2 and 3 spots in the starting lineup. Warn earned third-team, all-league honors last season.

Senior Kyle Dyke, sophomore Tyler Smith and freshman Ron Fry will battle for the fifth and sixth spots. Smith played sparingly last year.

Sophomore Daniel Martinez and freshman Josh Kelley round out Ceres' roster. They're first-year players.

"Our first four are going to have to play really good," Mendonca said. "And we'll make do with our fifth score."

Six players start. The top five scores count. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff Reporter of The Ceres (Calif.) Courier