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The Mariners will be led by new head coach Edgar “Hikey” Franklin this spring. SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Caroline Wilutis is a returning senior for Southampton this season. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Ella Coady is the reigning county champion. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton captains, from left, Ella Coady, Haley Marcincuk and Caroline Wilutis. SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Mariners will be led by new head coach Edgar “Hikey” Franklin this spring. SOUTHAMPTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ella Coady is ready to defend her Suffolk County title, and the rest of her Southampton girls golf team is hoping to make it to the championships with her.
The junior is hot off a 2021 campaign that saw her become the second in school history to achieve the feat, the first being Caraline Oakley in 2018.
“Coming back to the team after last year is a bit nerve-racking — having people look to you and expect something great — but I’m determined,” Coady said. “A lot of us are hoping to make states together.”
To help lead Coady and the rest of the Mariners this season is first-year head coach Edgar “Hikey” Franklin, who also admitted he’s a bit anxious but believes he brings a lot of local golf knowledge to the table. Franklin has led junior varsity football, basketball and track teams at Southampton and the Mariners varsity football team in 2013, and has been a Shinnecock Hills Golf Club caddie for over 20 years. Coady is also a caddie, at National Golf Links of America in Tuckahoe.
“Having so many young ladies with experience at the varsity level makes it that much easier for me walking in, and as a local caddie, I bring a lot to the table,” Franklin said. “I have a lot of knowledge of the wind out here — the wind shifts constantly after 3 p.m. and picks up a lot of the time — and whether downwind or upwind, you have to adjust your clubs and your yardage. That will help them.”
He also said this season is all about continuing the winning tradition. The Mariners, who also combine with Pierson and Ross girls, finished last season with an 11-1 record, sharing the title with Sachem, but also had their 26-dual-meet-streak snapped by the Flaming Arrows. Franklin said Coady’s talent will lead the way.
“I’m sure we have a big, red bullseye on us — lot of teams want to take us down — but Ella is going to be a force,” the coach said. “Her game is just unbelievable. Watching her at practice, she has a smooth swing, nice touch around the green, a soft touch — she’s got it all.”
Coady said even with all her experience, she’s not exactly looking to coach the girls, but hopes to instill confidence in her fellow Mariners.
“I see golf as a very mentally challenging game,” the junior said. “You’re out there for two to four hours with your thoughts. I want to help the girls feel better going into a match.”
She said her coach’s knowledge of wind direction, elevation and how to read the greens is big, but added, “He’s also got a cool, calm attitude, and I hope it rubs off on the girls.”
Also returning to the team are senior Caroline Wilutis and her younger sister Georgia, a sophomore; senior Haley Marcincuk; sophomore Emma Vail and freshman Jillian Swiatocha.
“Emma and Georgia hit the long ball and can really drive it, while also having a nice touch around the green,” Franklin said. “They’re going to be nice, strong players for us the next couple of years.”
Caroline Wilutis, who has made it to the Suffolk County tournament every year she’s been on the varsity squad, is hoping to break into the state tournament this season, and believes her new coach — the third for Southampton in the last three years — can take her there.
“I love how he lets us decide what we would like to work on, and always implements those things into our practices,” Wilutis said. “He also has a very positive attitude, which I think is important for a successful team.”
She said each Mariner brings something special to the table.
“These girls know how to keep it together and act professionally, even when they aren’t playing their best, and their ability to bounce back after a bad shot or hole shows a lot about their strengths as players,” the senior said. “It is great to know that we will have so many players on this team for years to come.”
Her coach agreed.
“The future is very bright here. I’m lucky to get in when I did,” Franklin said. “They know what it takes to win, and it’s now about putting the pieces of the puzzle in the right spot and having the girls perform at the level they’re capable of.”
Southampton’s first three matches of the season are on the road. The first was this past Monday against Ward Melville. The Mariners, who play all home matches at Bridgehampton Golf Club, don’t host a match until April 25, when they welcome Riverhead.
