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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

Aiden Koontz is a junior at West Forsyth, and up until recently he was a multi-sport star in two sports. 

They just happen to be two sports that normally don’t go together — wrestling and golf.  

He’s since given up wrestling, but he remains one of the top golfers on the boys team that just won its first boys team championship in the Central Piedmont 4-A since 2012.  

“I’ve kind of stopped wrestling,” he said. “It just wasn’t my love and so I wanted to pursue golf. I think going through the experience as I did with wrestling, it helped me overcome mental struggles in golf. And so, I think it was good for me to wrestle, but I think for me to really excel in golf and improve I needed to put 100 percent of my effort into that.” 

Koontz said he decided to forego wrestling last year after the NCHSAA Class 4-A Midwest Regional. 

“Really after the golf season last year, I had so much fun during the golf season,” he said. “So, I felt like I’d be more competitive in golf than I would be in wrestling. And I think that I felt like that was really my passion.”

Although not necessarily a factor in his decision to give up wrestling, Koontz still had to deal with losing Coach Jason Hooker, who resigned after the 2023 wrestling season, Timmy Allen succeeded him.  

“It was definitely weird having to go through that,” Koontz said. “Never in my life have I really had to go through multiple coaching changes in a sport. But it wasn’t a factor, necessarily, but I don’t know, it was really just my decision after golf season.” 

Allen had to resign because of health reasons after the 2024 season, and Hooker returned to coach the Titans’ wrestling team this past season. 

“I found I enjoyed practicing golf more than I did wrestling,” Koontz said. “It was kind of, not necessarily a no-brainer to me, but it was a decision I had to make with my heart. Coach Allen loved to see me out there wrestling. Coach Hooker loved to see me out there wrestling. It was tough to tell them I wasn’t going to be doing it anymore. But I think it was ultimately a good decision for me to make.” 

Wrestling at 132 pounds during the 2023-24 season, he remembers what turned out to be his last match in 2024 in the Regional at Ragsdale.  

“It was tied going into the second overtime,” Koontz said. “And it was sudden victory. And I got in on a shot. It was deep. I finished and then I was on top, but I legged him, and the guy stood up. And apparently that wasn’t a takedown. Everyone thought it was a takedown, and somehow it became a reversal, and I ended up losing.  

“It was a really close call. Coach Allen stormed the table. It was definitely a weird call. And they ultimately decided that I lost.” 

Motivation in wrestling was a factor, but his love for golf took a stranglehold over him to the point he didn’t feel he could dedicate himself to wrestling as much as he used to. By then Hooker was already back as the head wrestling coach at West Forsyth.

Koontz, who went to some of Hooker’s camps, made the decision this past September to not wrestle this season. He also let Allen know that he was done with wrestling. 

“I was contemplating it,” Koontz said of wanting to wrestle this past season. “I was thinking about it, and I was trying to weigh, ‘What’s going to happen if I do this? What’s going to happen if I do that?’ The goods and bads of both before I make a final decision. I just didn’t want to make a decision that I would regret later.” 

Koontz and his family, even though they live at Salem Glen Country Club in Clemmons, elected to hire him a new golf swing coach, Chris Haarlow, who works for Precision Golf School at Bryan Park. 

“Meeting him was amazing,” Koontz. “He’s such a great coach. I love going to lessons with him. And getting to really improve my game while having a coach there, it was just something I had never really experienced before. I never really had a serious golf coach or swing instructor. And having him there was like, ‘This is amazing.’ I didn’t know golf could be this fun. It unlocked so much potential and so many swing changes I was able to make through him, it helped me really improve.” 

The admiration for golf grew even more from there. 

“It made me realize where I could be in the next few years,” Koontz said. “And so, I enjoyed it even more while I was improving. Wrestling, I had to force myself to go to practice. In golf, I was so excited to go to my next lesson.” 

There was still that small problem of reacting to wrestling practice starting last fall even after making the decision not to wrestle. 

“I did go to a few of the matches, and I got a little jealous being in the stands, not on the mat,” Koontz said. “It was a few times. I missed duals, but I did not miss tournaments.” 

Wrestling wasn’t the only sport where Koontz had a coaching change. Kevin King, who had been the boys golf coach for the Titans retired after last season. Debra Troxell, who was the girls coach, also stepped in to take the boys job once King left.  

“Ms. Troxell, she’s a little more involved,” Koontz said. “They’re both great coaches. I’ve loved having both of them. So, they’re very similar in the fact they care a lot about how we perform and all that. But I feel the biggest difference that spoke out to me with Ms. Troxell versus Coach King is her involvement with us.

“She sends out weekly emails and stuff. Coach King, you kind of had to go ask him, which is good both ways.” 

Despite being in her first season as the boys golf coach for the Titans, Troxell did help out with the team last season. Troxell is also a social-studies teacher at the school. 

“Actually, I sponsored a trip to Europe last summer. Aiden was one of the kids on the trip,” she said.  

Troxell said the group traveled to London; Paris; Florence, Italy; Rome; and Pompei, Italy. Then, she had the opportunity to be his head coach.

“Good, solid player,” she said of Koontz. “He’s got skills. He’s a good golfer. He’s serious, very intentional about his golfing, he takes it seriously. Does a good job with it.” 

Not only did Troxell know Koontz was a golfer, but she also knew he competed in another sport. 

“I knew he wrestled and was good at it,” she said. “And I think that anytime you have a chance to compete in another sport it gives you more of an appreciation for that sport, for those athletes, but also makes you a better athlete overall.” 

According to Troxell, Koontz’s average per nine holes has decreased by about five strokes per round.

“I think a lot of it comes down to his work,” Troxell said. “With many golfers you go through spells. You have to go through little time periods where you get a little bit better, and sometimes where you feel like you’re off your game a little bit. I think it’s a combination of he’s worked hard, he’s serious about getting better, he keeps his mind on the game when he’s playing. But I think he’s also in a really good spot right now.”

Not only has it been fun for Koontz individually this season, but it’s been fun for the team. Koontz said he’s seeded No. 4 for the Titans, and he plays alongside transfers Connor Williams and Kevin Zhang, as well as teammates Max Duncan and Drew Koster. 

“We knew we were going to be great,” Koontz said. “Knowing we had two transfers coming in, it really gave us a spark. It gave us the momentum to really go in there and say, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do this. We’re going to do it.’ Before it was, ‘Oh, here’s golf season, let’s come around. Let’s play our best.’

“This year it’s ‘We’re going to go win a conference title. We’re going to go do this. We’re going to do that. We’re going to qualify for states. We’re going to qualify for regionals.’ It was like we had all these aspirations and it’s been helpful having new faces in our group and like more people to work with. You get different looks to how people play, and it helps you. Getting to meet these guys has been awesome. It gives us a lot more hope going into the next few years.” 

This season for the Titans was successful and reached the Central Piedmont 4-A tournament last week at Maple Chase. Not only did the team fare well, but Williams won the individual championship at 1-under. Koontz said he finished 1-over and tied for third. 

“I knew if we went out there and played as good as we could we’d do good and we’d win,” Koontz said. “Because we were up 24 strokes going into Maple Chase.”

Obviously, none of the other teams in the conference could overcome that margin. That led to the first boys team championship in golf in 13 years.

“I knew we’re going to have a good season,” Troxell said. “And I’m pleased we did as well as we did. It’s one of those things when you start the season you’ve got high hopes. You just try and temper them. But I knew we were going to have a good season.” 

After winning the championship last week the team had a muted celebration because they knew they still had some season remaining. 

“We celebrated. We took some pictures,” Troxell said. “But the season’s not over yet.” 

West Forsyth qualified for the Midwest Regional, which was scheduled for this past Tuesday at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe. 

“We are in a very competitive region,” Troxell said. “The boys are going to do some practice rounds at Stonebridge, but it’s not a course that they’ve played previously. And there is some homefield advantage when it comes to golf courses just like anything else. So, I think we have a chance to do well.” 

If West Forsyth survived the regional in Monroe, the team would advance to next week’s state championship. The first round is scheduled for next Monday at Pinehurst No. 2, and next Tuesday’s second round is scheduled for Pinehurst No. 8. 

“I’d be ecstatic,” Koontz said of the prospect of playing in the state championship. “I’ve always wanted to make it. It’s a huge milestone to me. Being a state qualifier has always been this big goal. I never was able to achieve it wrestling, so I’m hoping I achieve it with golf.”