NEWS :: Red Cloud Indian School

Boys’ golf team is ‘all in the family,’ credits outstanding season start to family history
posted on September 11, 2009

Peer into any Red Cloud Indian School athletic practice, and chances are you’ll witness a spirit of closeness unmatched in high school athletics. But for members of the Red Cloud High School Boys’ Golf Team, that bond also has a little something extra: a familial bond.

Siblings Montana and Colton Sierra are leading the 2009/10 boys’ golf team, along with brothers Dallas and Richard Greenwald and their cousins, Eric and Tristen Long. The tight-knit squad, now boasting an unprecedented undefeated winning streak of eight matches, makes for a fascinating combination of athletic abilities and family companionship.

“We have all played together, and against each other, since we were young kids, so this year really isn’t much different, just perhaps more fun,” says Long, a senior at Red Cloud High. “We’re all related in one way or another, so when we are at a golf meet, we treat it like a family outing rather than a competition against other teams.”

“We really just go out there, support each other, have fun and do the best we can for the team,” says Colton Sierra, a seventh grader at Red Cloud Elementary, who adds that it’s been inspiring to play with his older brother.

Despite traveling to Gordon, Nebraska, twice a week for practice, the boys say they are always looking forward to their next meet.

“Every day is a challenge to improve our technique and ultimately, our scores,” says Greenwald, a junior. “But playing with my brother and cousins make it much more easier for me. We have great chemistry together because we know and respect one another, and can push each other for the betterment of the team.”

Standout Senior Student-Athlete Montana Sierra wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think part of the reason we’ve had such a great start to the season is the personal ‘vibe’ we share as a team, as friends and as family,” he says. “Each person on the team has made a great contribution this season. It’s a great, personal honor to play with these guys.”

“I’ve been more focused this year on learning what I can, as I’ve got room and time for improvement,” adds Colton Sierra. “I have to give it to my brother and teammates: They’re treating me great, teaching me what they can while still making the commitment to improving their own game.”

And, he says, it’s “fun to shoot better than the older guys every once in a while, because they’re the ones I’m learning from. Well, them, and my father.”

Head Coach Lenny Clifford says that it’s been a dream come true to have athletes with their capabilities, camaraderie and companionship. “This group of young men have something special, something I don’t often see. They play well. But what’s more, they’re a great group of kids to be around.”

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