GOLF | BRANDON PLUCHINSKY | SOUTH RANGE

11When Brandon first started playing golf for South Range, it couldn’t form a full team. Only he and fellow freshman Matt Rhodes were encouraged to play. But along the way, Hogan Russell and Mike Veneskey joined and turned the Raiders into one of the most competitive teams in the area.

“We started to realize that we could be good,” Pluchinsky said. “Golf’s a game where you don’t win every time. You have to play your best. [My teammates] really helped me and pushed me and we had a pretty good season.”

One thing Pluchinsky isn’t short on is help. South Range coach Jim Hanek has been by his side for motivation, swing instructor Teresa Mucha is his go-to source for swing tweaks and Lisa Becka, the head coach for St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina, helped him first get into the game.

Pluchinsky is currently playing basketball in his senior year. He is undecided on what college he will attend, but hopes to indeed play golf at the next level. While he doesn’t necessarily see himself on the PGA tour down the road, he desires a career in golf course management.