BENTON — The Benton Rangers held their first boys golf practice in the sweltering heat Monday afternoon, but there were no complaints. Following a summer filled with question marks due to the pandemic, heat and humidity were irrelevant on the first official day of practices for fall sports in Illinois.

Golf figured to be one of the sports to get the green light, but even that was up in the air until the IHSA announced in late July that it was moving football, volleyball, and boys soccer from fall to spring, but boys and girls golf, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country, as well as girls swimming and diving would remain in the fall.

Rangers’ head coach Reggie Norman has the task of trying to replace five seniors from last year’s squad that finished sixth at the 2A state tournament, winning regional and sectional championships along the way. Four of those five seniors signed to golf in college. The fifth had an offer as well, but chose to go into the National Guard instead.

The cupboard certainly isn’t bare for the Rangers. Norman’s son Cy will lead the charge this year. He’s currently ranked as one of the top ten sophomores in the country and is the sixth-rated golfer regardless of class in Illinois according to the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. Norman and fellow sophomore Nick Melvin are actually two of the older players on a roster that features only one senior, Peyton Sieveking.

The IHSA COVID-19 guidelines limit schools to smaller competitions in their own conferences or established health regions. Those limitations have forced the Rangers to significantly change their schedule. That means no large tournaments or trips north which Coach Norman prefers.

Much like with the heat and humidity though, nobody’s complaining. They’re just happy to be practicing, with eyes set on next Monday’s season opener at home against Mt. Vernon.