FAULKTON – Bennett Cassens’ pre-tournament ritual began sort of by accident. 

Cassens, a multi-sport standout at Faulkton High School, was cleaning his clubs one night during his junior year and noticed a golf movie, The Greatest Game Ever Played, playing on TV.

“I’d never seen it before,” Cassens said, “but I liked a lot of the golfing scenes.”

Soon, Cassens was watching that movie before every tournament, using it to help get his mind set on golf.

While it’s difficult to attribute success specifically to that – Cassens puts in plenty of work on his game – it certainly didn’t hurt. Cassens finished as the runner-up at the Class B state tournament last spring, finishing one stroke behind Brody Boltjes of Platte-Geddes.

This season, Cassens has expanded his pre-tournament routine, adding The Legend of Beggar Vance to his movie selections, alternating between the two movies while cleaning his clubs.

“It just helps me calm down for the night,” he said. “I go to bed thinking about golf.”

Success has again followed, as Cassens has claimed individual medalist honors in about half of his meets so far. The other half, he’s been the runner-up, and the Trojans, as a team, have won all but the region tournament.

“It’s been a pretty successful season,” Cassens said.

The Trojans are now ready to focus their winning ways on next week’s state tournament in Rapid City, and Cassens is confident his team can pull off a podium finish.

“Before this season, I was the only one who took golf too seriously,” he said. “Now the other guys see how good we can be.”

As far as his chance to earn the coveted individual medal that eluded him as a junior, Cassens said he’s neither ignoring nor focusing too much on that possibility.

“I’m expected to be up there, but I try not to put too much pressure on myself,” he said. “Just take it one hole at a time and have fun with it.”

He’ll still make sure he keeps his routine going, though, even if he has to watch that night’s movie selection on his phone in the hotel.

“I’ve been waiting all week for this,” he said. “We’re definitely ready.”