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Names and News: Casa Roble Golf Coach Has Team in Swing: Returning League MVP Robert Budenbender Tops a Talent-Packed Roster.

Posted on: Thursday, 23 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Bill Paterson, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Mar. 23--There was a time Casa Roble High School boys golf coach Larry Dubie relished getting a player into the Sac-Joaquin Section finals.

But things have changed during his 15 seasons as the Rams' golf coach. Casa Roble is now among the area's elite programs.

Winning a first section boys golf championship is a realistic goal for a program that captured its first Capital Athletic League title and finished fifth at the section finals last season.

"I feel we can be very good, even better than last season," Dubie said. "But so many things can happen between now and then, injury, sickness. ... If we get hot at the right time, we'll be a team to reckon with."

The optimism is understandable. Five of his starting six from 2005 are back, including Capital Athletic League MVP Robert Budenbender, who missed by a stroke of advancing to the state championships as a junior.

Re-joining the program is junior Steve Hader, who played as a freshman but sat out last season. Dubie expects Hader to be his No. 2 player behind Budenbender.

Also back are senior Jon Decker (No. 3) and juniors Logan Finley (No. 4), Brad Carrico (No. 5) and Jason Arostegy (No. 6).

The Rams have wasted little time finding their stroke.

Against CAL power Del Campo, the Rams won the first league head-to-head, nine-hole dual 185-191 on March 7 at the par-36 Mather Golf Course.

"Absolutely, it has become a rivalry, but a good rivalry," Dubie said of Del Campo. "It's the way it's supposed to be. The kids know each other and respect each other. When the match is over, everyone shakes hands. It's not kill, kill, kill."

The Rams are 3-0 in dual matches this season, having also defeated Pleasant Grove in league and Elk Grove in a non-league match.

"We've shot 185 against Del Campo and in a couple of practice rounds," said Dubie, impressed by his team's consistency. "That's like averaging one stroke over par for a team."

Budenbender, a graduate of the Little Linkers and SAY-Golf programs in Sacramento, already has twice competed on the Future Collegiate World Tour team, which represented the United States in Scotland during the summer.

"He has an awful lot of confidence," Dubie said. "But his strength can be his weakness. He's very aggressive. He'll three-putt a green, then come back and make three birdies in a row."

Also a talented bowler with several 300 games to his credit, Budenbender will play golf for Sacramento State next fall as Dubie's first scholarship player.

Dubie likes watching Budenbender play, even if it can be a bit nerve-racking. In fact, the former Bella Vista football player and all-around athlete is in love with a sport he knew little about growing up.

Friend and long-time Elk Grove High golf coach Barry Zarecky introduced Dubie to golf, and now he plays four or five times a week. Dubie and his wife, Lori, moved from Folsom to a course-side home in Rancho Murieta.

"I've got the bug," Dubie said. "I've got the cart in the garage, and it probably takes me 45 seconds to get to the tee."

Although Dubie is a member of a country club, he says most of his players are not - one reason he's pleased to see his Rams compete with those players from Granite Bay, Jesuit, Rocklin and Del Campo.

"I think it's going to come down to us and Del Campo in league again, so it was nice to get that win under the belt," he said. "I got a chance to go to the NorCal tournament with Rob last year, and I told the kids I want to go back."

The Rams play Del Campo again Tuesday at the Northridge Country Club. The CAL tournaments are April 24 at Catta Verdera and May 2 at Rancho Murieta.

Dubie won't have to go far for that one.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Sacramento Bee

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