Josh Caridi. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Josh Caridi is on the verge of becoming a star.
The Fossil Ridge junior will look to to qualify for his third Class 5A state tournament this year, and after finishing tied for fifth place last year, he’s ready to leave his mark as one of the best.
And even more, he’s ready to help his team make the jump from a top-five finish to potential state champions.
“Even though we lost four seniors, I feel like we can still go to state as a team and compete very strongly,” Caridi said. “Also, individually, I feel like I can shoot something pretty low to give me a chance to win.”
And the confidence he has is real.
After spending the 2015 state tournament near the top of the leaderboard, it became very apparent that not only can Caridi play with the top dogs in the class, he can keep up with him.
Even from watching the event, Sabercats coach Andy Stevens could see the confidence growing in his young standout.
“For Josh, It was a great learning experience,” Stevens said. “He saw how (the top guys) handled themselves in adversity. But it also gave him a sense of confidence that he was only a sophomore and was out there competing with those guys.”
Now the next step is figuring out how to get over the championship hump.
If there is any kind of a mental block in trying to take down players who are older, it doesn’t necessarily get solved with strength.
Even at 16-years-old, Caridi knows that the game is more mental than anything. In order to be the best through any round of 18 holes that he plays, he needs to combine ability with the ability to play the game with his head as much as his body.
“It doesn’t always take the biggest drive,” Caridi said. “It takes, whoever gets it in the fairway and who can hit it straight to the green. If (we’re playing) a tighter course, I’ll play a little smarter and if it’s more open, I can be a little more aggressive.”
Regardless of his approach, it seems to work. Stevens admitted that since the first day Caridi put on a Fossil Ridge shirt, he was the top golfer for the team.
He has become the leader of the squad and his ability to compete in 5A is something that will unquestionably give the entire team a lift as they hope to dethrone Regis Jesuit as the reigning champions.
“In order for us to catch and ultimately pass a team like Regis, we have to play our absolute best and handle our business,” Stevens said. “High school golf is so unique that it’s the only time in a golfer’s life that they are part of a team. Confidence definitely trickles down. When Josh or Dillon Stewart or Cam Lampe or Jack Hasting go out and shoot a round in the mid-60’s, that’s going to motivate everyone to pick up their game a bit.”
The Sabercats lost Noah Browned and Matt Atkins from last year’s team, but it was Caridi and Stewart who had the best finishes at state. Lampe, Hastings and Dillon Muth figure to battle it out for the two team spots this season.
But regardless of who ends up taking them, Fossil Ridge is set up to make a memorable run this season.
“One of the things we’re blessed with is depth, we’re very lucky in that regard,” Stevens said. “The seniors we lost left some big shoes to fill, but we feel like (those three) are going to be step in and fill those holes.”
Boys golf preview
2015 individual champions:
- 5A: Hunter Paugh, Fort Collins (graduated)
- 4A: Jackson Solem, Silver Creek (senior)
- 3A: Sam Taylor, Peak to Peak (senior)
Defending team champions:
- 5A: Regis Jesuit
- 4A: Valor Christian
- 3A: Peak to Peak
- 5A: Griffin Barela (Sr.) Lakewood, Josh Caridi (Jr.) Fossil Ridge, Trevor Olkowski (Sr.) Grand Junction, Tyler Zhang (Sr.) Regis Jesuit
- 4A: Matthew Casias (Sr.) Pueblo South, Cole Krantz (Sr.) Windsor, Glen-Michael Mihavetz (Sr.) Montrose, Jackson Solem (Sr.) Silver Creek, Lenny Urbas (Sr.) Evergreen
- 3A: Nishant Datta (Jr.) Peak to Peak, Billy Howenstein (So.) Dawson, Oliver Jack (Jr.) Kent Denver, Yale Kim (Sr.) Dawson, Brayden Lambrecht (Jr.) Sterling, Ivan Richmond (Jr.) Estes Park, Sam Taylor (Sr.) Peak to Peak, Ian Thorpe (Jr.) Peak to Peak
Regular season begins: Aug. 11
Regionals: Completed by Sept. 19
State meets: Sept. 26-27