The running gag of the Highland boys golf season involved ace Chad Dubiel and coach Andrew Dutt.
The scenario: Dubiel joked with his boys in the van en route to the course, shot around 76 or 77 and handed his scorecard to Dutt. Sarcasm followed almost immediately.
RON SCHWANE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Highland senior Chad Dubiel is the 2015 Gazette MVP for boys golf.
Dutt: “So, how’d it go?”
Dubiel: “Well, I had a 76 but I would have shot 73 if I had made this putt or …
Dutt (interrupting playfully): “Then why didn’t you?”
Dubiel (smiling while rolling his eyes): “Why am I even telling you this? I knew what you’re going to say.”
The conversation isn’t really unique because almost every player bemoans about how they should have played better. After all, the limitless pursuit of perfection is what makes golf addicting.
What made Dubiel different was his ability to roll with the punches — regardless of whether the golf gods were testing him or his coach was teasing him — with what Dutt called a “goofy” sense of humor and “doughboy” smile.
In other words, the senior was unflappable during a remarkably consistent season in which he was named Suburban League American Division MVP and Gazette MVP.
“His personality is he’s a giant goofball — he really is,” Dutt said. “He’s a really hard worker when it comes to golf, but he likes to joke around. It’s very difficult at certain times to take him seriously … until he gets on the course and flips the switch.
“It’s unbelievable to have that (consistency), and for him a bad round is one I would have taken as a good round for anybody else. Obviously having him there this year was fantastic because I knew I had the horse.”
Dubiel delivered the goods nearly every time.
With parents Tom and Deanna becoming members at Medina Country Club shortly after he was born, Dubiel grew up in a golf cart. The natural progression was becoming a solid player.
Flash forward approximately 15 years and the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder with a 3.94 grade-point average and 29 ACT score was prepared for the No. 1 spot. More laid back like Ryan Scherler and less serious than Andy Grayson and Mark Komives, Dubiel used parts of all three prior Highland aces to lead in his own, unique way.
Dubiel responded with a 38.4 average that never wavered, as all but one of his nine-hole scores was in the 30s and all 10 18-hole rounds were between 75 and 81. He was the low man when Highland shot 318 to clinch a league title for the second straight season — the first time that’s happened in 45 years — and when the Hornets won their first sectional championship as a Division I school.
Dubiel’s highlights were back-to-back 75s in the two SL tournaments at J.E. Good Park Golf Course, a layout in West Akron that had haunted him.
“Good Park this year, both rounds I played pretty solid, and that was the first time in my high school career,” he said. “Mr. Dutt always stressed how important that course was to us because it’s definitely one of the toughest courses in the area. We are never going to play our best there, but you have to know how to take your losses, stay in it mentally and put together as solid of a round as possible.”
Dubiel never had a problem staying in contention because of a philosophy that certainly was not stereotypical of a high school player: Take the smart shot and let the putter do the rest.
Watching adults throughout his childhood molded Dubiel. He obviously had the size to bomb the ball off the tee and confidence to go for the aggressive Bubba Watson/Phil Mickelson approaches, but preferred to take a couple effortless swings, hit a green and line up a 15- or 20-foot putt for birdie.
Coupled with a solid wedge game that bailed him out when needed, Dubiel, who is deciding between accepting a scholarship offer from D-II Lake Erie or playing on the club team at Cincinnati, was the rock atop the lineup all coaches love.
The interesting part was Dubiel doesn’t give his playing style a second thought, although Dutt believes the approach is so advanced Dubiel could be a scratch player sooner rather than later.
“That comes from being around the game for so long and realizing, ‘I know I’ve done this before, so I know this risk is not worth taking,”’ Dubiel said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in position to break that (game plan), and I’ve definitely chosen not to take risks.”
He saves risks for the van rides, where slap-stick humor is his specialty.
Dutt will remember Dubiel for that probably more than golfing exploits. So, too, will Dubiel, who after making it known his teammates were “a great group of guys” laughed and summed up his season in a classically dry way.
“At the end of the day, I was playing golf all the time,” he said, “so I can’t look at it as a bad time.”
Few golf fans would argue with that.
Gazette boys golf MVPs
- Chad Dubiel (H) 2015
- Andy Grayson (H) 2014
- Justin Roth (Bru) 2013
- Patrick Luth (M) 2012
- Austin Schreiber (M) 2011
- Mike Bishop (M) 2010
- Mark Maynard (M) 2009
- Mark Maynard (M) 2008
- Parker Hewit (C) 2007
- Bryan Mitchell (M) 2006
- Bryan Mitchell (M) 2005
- Bryan Mitchell (M) 2004
- Ben Rudy (Bru) 2003
- Brandon Broyles (M) 2002
- Vince Belpulsi (H) 2001
- Dane Sandridge (C) 2000
- Ben Kortz (C) 1999
- Jon Holko (W) 1998
- Brandon Scholz (BR) 1997
- Nate Gumlia (M) 1995
- Nate Gumlia (M) 1994
- Nate Gumlia (M) 1993
- Steve King (M) 1992
- Steve King (M) 1991
- Mike King (M) 1990
- Mark Carlson (W) 1989
- Bob Henighan (M) 1988
- Kevin Zemnickas (M) 1987
- Dave Holland (Buc) 1986