Usually, a golf team with three sophomores in the top five and a new coach wouldn’t shake 5A-1 Fiesta Region opponents out of their spikes.

But there isn’t anything usual about this season’s Desert Vista boys golf team.

Coach Paige Peterson, who was an assistant to Peter Moody before taking over the team this season, is a life-long golfer with experience ranging from the junior circuit through college and the Professional Golf Association programs.

And Cody McManus and Ryan Witte aren’t typical sophomores.

As freshmen they both played in the state tournament last season with Erik Long-Goheen and Brad Goodlander, a senior and junior respectively this season.

Witte’s brother, Kevin, placed eighth individually in the state tournament last season.

“We’re very fortunate to have that combination of both a young but experienced team,” Peterson said. “These guys have worked hard and played in tournaments over the summer. I’m looking forward to the season.”

Another sophomore, Sean Buchanan didn’t play in the state tournament when the Thunder placed sixth last season, but he also has experience on the junior golf circuit.

All five play the game year-around.

“Golf is so fickle,” Peterson added. “It isn’t something that you can stop and then pick it up again six months later. I played basketball and baseball in high school and had to leave those to concentrate on golf. It’s one of the most demanding sports I know.”

Despite a youthful lineup with only two seniors last season, the Thunder was disappointed placing sixth, 12 strokes behind fourth place rival Mountain Pointe, among the 16 teams and at the state tournament last season.

“We were third after the first day,” Peterson recalled. “They all learned a lot, especially recognizing two of them were freshmen, so it was a valuable experience for them this year.”

The Thunder will probably rely on that experience this season because with their conference realignment this season Desert Vista is in the mix with four-time defending state champion Chandler Hamilton, Mesa Red Mountain and Phoenix Brophy Prep.

Brophy, which placed seventh, three strokes behind Desert Vista, has six state titles and Red Mountain has taken seven titles back to the Mesa campus.

“It’s a tough region,” said Peterson, who also teaches business at Desert Vista. “But that’s good because you want to compete against the best all year.”

Nearby rivals Mountain Pointe has moved to the East Valley conference while Corona del Sol will remain in the Central Region.

That doesn’t man they won’t see each other this season.

The 14th annual three-day Ahwatukee Cup, that includes Mountain Pointe and Corona, kicks off the season on Monday, Aug. 31 on the Thunder’s home course at Club West before rotating to Tempe Ken McDonald before wrapping up at the Ahwatukee Golf Course on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The tournament features a Ryder Cup-type format.

“That’s great experience too from a team standpoint,” Peterson added, “because we’ll play with a partner and we don’t get a chance to do that the rest of the year.”