The number of seniors on the Diamond Bar boys golf team has been dwindling in  the past few years, leaving this year’s team without a  single 12th grader.  But despite being younger than ever, the team has not missed a beat.

The Brahmas opened league against the South Hills Huskies, earning wins both at home and away, 208-268 and 206-241, respectively. Sophomore captain Sam Cho led both matches, sharing the top score  with freshman Leo Lu at  39  at home and alone at the top  with 38 at South Hills.

The team continued its winning streak against league rival Glendora High School, but by a narrower margin of 204-209 at home. Two days later at the Tartans’ home court, the boys left with a win they had not earned in 14 years.

Sophomore Bryan Chiu, accompanied by freshman Ethan Thomas at home and Lu away, led as the top scorer both rounds. Chiu and Thomas shot 39 at the Diamond Bar Golf Course; at the Glendora Country Club, Chiu shot 34 and Lu 37.

“We don’t have any seniors–we have freshmen out there, and freshmen are just starting to figure things out,” head coach Tony McCabe said. “Ethan Thomas and Leo Lu are really good freshmen, but they’re still freshmen.”

With graduates Christian Kim and former captains Joshua Song and Dylan Stone gone, the Brahmas enter this season three seniors short of the last. The year before that, they lost four. This year’s young lineup comes with its advantages and disadvantages, according to McCabe.

“It’s really exciting as a coach to have great young players, because that means you’re going to be really good for a long time,” he said. “But we’ve also shown the youth: the mistakes that young players can make, the inconsistencies of just being new and a freshman or sophomore. But as they get through the end of the season, those things will smooth out.”

During the preseason, Cho, junior captain Thomas Lee, and Lu were the leading players in the Ayala Tournament with respective scores of 80, 81 and 81, bringing the team to a fifth place finish.  Later, in the Ontario Christian Tournament, Lu, Chiu and Cho led the team to second place with scores of 79, 81 and 83.

“Our top five are pretty balanced. Somebody’s going to have a good day, somebody’s going to have a bad day, and they cover each other,” McCabe said. “How you win league in golf isn’t with a great player. It’s with balance.”

The Bonita Bearcats, like Glendora, are another challenge the boys will have to face next week. Though both teams are fairly even in skill, according to McCabe, and the hardest course in the league belongs to the Bearcats, which could be a significant threat to the Brahmas’ undefeated record.