The Riverside-Brookfield boys golf team surely will miss standout golfer Kris Strnad, who shot an overall score of 179 at the Class 2A State Tournament held in Bloomington-Normal last year.

Strnad qualified for state by carding a 76 – 4 over par – in the Nazareth Sectional. The Bulldogs also lost top golfers Mike LeBeau and Max Recht (sectional qualifier) to graduation.

“Kris was the first golfer to get downstate for RB in a while,” RB coach Larry Rocco said. “He was a very good golfer for us.”

While adjusting to life on the golf course sans Strnad and friends won’t be easy, Rocco will call upon a roster loaded with depth to ensure a smooth transition. Returning all-conference golfer Jack Kemper and sophomore Austin Adamec lead the Bulldogs into action this fall. Last season, Kemper fired an 81 at the Metro Suburban Conference Tournament and then shot an 87 at regionals. According to Rocco, he’s very capable of scoring in the low 30s over nine holes.

“Jack played a lot of golf this summer and he can really score,” Rocco said. “He’s very good off the tee and he can get really hot with the putter. I know Jack is a special golfer, and I think Austin is going to be a special one, too.”

Senior Brett Hoyd also returns with plenty of varsity experience, while a slew of talented juniors in Mike Hornung, Karl Jantze, Luca Malone and Matt Quintana round out Rocco’s top seven golfers.

“I hate to jinx us but we have a lot of depth,” Rocco said. “I think it’s potentially as good as it’s ever been [at RB]. All these kids can score low. They are solid in all aspects of the game.”

Last year, the Bulldogs finished 8-6 in dual matches and placed fourth in regional competition. Defending conference champion Glenbard South and Illiana Christian are the top Metro Suburban Conference contenders this season, but RB, Fenton and Timothy Christian all could have a solid look at claiming conference as well.

“I’m really excited about this year,” Rocco said. “We have seven or eight kids that on any given day can shoot in the low 80s [18 holes] or low 40s [nine holes]. It’s a really great group of kids with a good work ethic.”

The Bulldogs take on Nazareth in their season opener this week.