Rowan Miller’s tight connection with Hillcrest Academy golf began nearly 10 years ago at Kalona Golf Course.

His grandfather, Phil Ropp, was coach and founder of the golf team at the school, which was then the Iowa Mennonite School.

At age 6, Rowan had a golf club in his hand.

“It was actually my grandma that started taking me out to the golf course,” says Rowan, who is now 15 and a freshman player for this year’s unbeaten Hillcrest team. “Later in life, I got to golf with my grandpa.”

Grandpa is a frequent spectator now for a golf squad that is setting school records and has high expectations as the postseason began Wednesday with a first-place finish for the Ravens in the Class 1A sectional meet at Knoll Ridge Country Club in North English.

The Ravens won the Southeast Iowa Super Conference championship for the first time May 3 at Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club in Wapello. Monday in Kalona, they finished off an unbeaten regular season with a win over Lone Tree.

“The guys that have been coming up through the program the last few years are shooting lights out,” said head coach Phil Schintler, who took over the program in 2021. “Everybody is just really hungry this year. They know how good they are. They know they can get better. That’s the real key.”

And that includes Miller, who led a one-two Hillcrest finish last Saturday at the Central Lee Invitational held at Green Acres Golf Course in Donnellson. His score of 75 earned medalist honors and a trophy.

Two days later, he was medalist with a nine-hole score of 37 against Lone Tree.

Grandpa Ropp would be proud.

And the thing is, Rowan is new at this stuff. He made his Hillcrest athletic debut in baseball last summer as an eighth grader, but had never competed in a golf tournament until this spring.

“Very fun because this is the first time I’ve played golf competitively,” Rowan said. “Other times, I just went out to the golf course and just played by myself or with friends. I think the competitive aspect is pretty fun.”

Oh, Rowan went out to Kalona Golf Course with Phil Ropp and played. It’s a special connection.

“I still golf with them (grandfather Phil Ropp and grandmother Joyce Ropp) every once in a while. That’s fun,” Rowan said.

When Phil Ropp isn’t at an actual event, he’s texting his grandson.

The sweet story of Hillcrest golf in 2023 really goes back to the mid-1990s, when Ropp began the golf program at IMS. In 1997, IMS made it to the state tournament.

“It wasn’t just a program,” Schintler said. “It was a quality program.”

The school’s coach’s appreciation award is now named after Ropp and former golf coach Jim Miller.

What makes this season even more special for the Ravens is that it’s not just about golf. The baseball preseason has already begun, which means that Miller is among those out at Hillcrest early in the morning for batting practice, then back out there after school for baseball practice. Rowan and teammate Jace Rempel also play soccer, as does Seth Ours.

The schedules were created so that soccer games didn’t conflict with a golf tournament, and vice versa.

On Wednesday, it was golf.

The Ravens combined for a score of 330 and won a sectional championship by six shots over English Valleys. Next up is the district tournament next Tuesday at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville. The state tournament will be held May 22 and 23 at Ames Golf & Country Club.

Expectations are high. What else for an unbeaten team?

“We’re playing at such a high level right now,” Schintler said. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling. That’s the big thing. We’ve got to keep it going.”

Cheering them on will be Grandpa Ropp, no question.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul