Whether he's barrelling down a mountain on his snowboard, or firing at flagsticks while playing golf for Ventura High, Ryan Turner believes in going for it.

Turner's go-for-broke mentality has put him in a position to earn a piece of the school record book.

If the senior can average four birdies per match from now until the end of the season, he will break Zack King's birdie mark of 56 for a single season.

Heading into Tuesday's match with Oaks Christian, Turner had 22 birdies in eight matches. Against the Lions, Turner had five more birdies, helping him fire a 1-over 71 to earn medalist honors.

Turner, who earlier this season had a round that included five birdies and an eagle, said he wasn't aware of the record until recently.

"I didn't know anything about it until coach (Fella Scoggins) mentioned it," Turner said. "I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for the season, so my game is still rounding into shape.

"I would like to break the record, but I have other goals, including trying to qualify for CIF."

Turner's strong play wasn't enough to prevent Oaks Christian from winning its first match of the season, 417-421.

Donny Zarraonandia led the way for Oaks Christian, shooting a 79. Chase Whiddon fired an 81 and Ty Gretzky an 82.

Last year, Zarraonandia tried out for the Lions' golf team, but coach Tom Placke cut him.

Zarraonandia guaranteed he would be on the team the following year, and through a lot of hard work, his game has improved dramatically.

"I practiced almost every day for a year," Zarraonandia said. "I think the longest I went without practicing was five days when I was on vacation.

"It didn't take long to see progress. I worked with my coach (Brady Sherfy) and that helped a lot."

Placke said it was good to win, but noted his team needs to play better in the upcoming Tri-Valley League tournaments in April.

"I'm seeing progress, but not as much as I want," Placke said. "I don't think we can beat Oak Park (for the league title), but my goal is for us to be competitive for second or third."

The loss drops Ventura to 7-5. With as many as three freshman in the lineup at any one time, Scoggins knew it might be an up-and-down year.

As one of the few seniors, Turner has tried to impart as much wisdom to his young teammates as he can.

"I give them all the knowledge I have, because I remember what it was like when I was a freshman," Turner said.

While he earned medalist honors on Tuesday, Turner was not thrilled with his play.

"I hit the ball OK, but there were times where I missed in bad spots," Turner said. "I'll get some more practice time and my game will be OK."