Yes, the 2018 varsity golf season is the one in which Randolph-Henry High School’s (R-H) 16-year-long James River District match win streak came to an end, but it also became a particularly ideal year to appreciate the greatness of R-H’s program — a greatness that has no end in sight.

By Statesmen Head Coach Kelly Powell’s own description, his team was young this year, featuring only two seniors. Though R-H lost by five strokes to district rival Central Lunenburg High School on Aug. 21 and by six strokes to the same team Sept. 19, the Chargers are legitimately excellent this year, winning the Region 1B title Monday in Farmville.

Additionally, it is naturally going to be difficult to defeat an excellent team when facing it so many times. The Statesmen and Chargers faced off on six different occasions this year. It is a tribute to Randolph-Henry’s strength that a young iteration of its team was able to win four out of six showdowns with outstanding Central.

R-H beat the Chargers by 13 strokes in early August; its late-season victories were decided by six, one and two strokes, the last margin being the one which brought the Statesmen their 19th consecutive regular season district championship.

In the Class 2 Region A tournament Sept. 24, Randolph-Henry tied for second with Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School. Only the top two teams advanced to the state tournament, so there was a playoff. The Statesmen fought hard but fell by a single stroke.

Randolph-Henry’s young squad, which benefited this year from the senior leadership of Larkin Jackson and Skylar Lacks, will be another year older next season, and with freshmen and sophomores already standing out among upperclassmen, it’s clear that the future is bright for the Statesmen along with its present.

The program’s present has been bright for more than two decades, and we commend Powell and his many dedicated, skilled golfers for making this a reality. It’s an outstanding achievement.