The competitive spirit lives on in Sala Still’s family.

But Sala, the son of Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame defensive end Art Still, has chosen a totally different path than his father.

And that’s by design.

Sala Still, a sophomore at Liberty High, does not try to crunch into opposing quarterbacks. He prefers the serenity and slower pace of the game of golf.

Sala has made great strides in his game this year, and was Liberty’s top finisher at the Class 4 District 8 tourney last week at Liberty Hills Country Club, shooting a 78 and tying for third on the par-70 course April 30. His performance helped the Blue Jays advance as a team to the Class 4 state tourney on Monday and Tuesday, May 12 and 13, in Republic.

“I love playing the game,” Still said. “There’s always something to improve on, whether it’s chipping, putting or driving. It’s good on your body, and it’s a game that you can play your whole life.”

The same can’t be said for football. Art Still was the second pick in the 1978 NFL draft by the Chiefs out of the University of Kentucky. He had a standout career on mostly miserable Kansas City teams for 10 years, with 72 ½ sacks and 922 tackles. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and was selected to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1998.

After retiring from football in 1989 after playing two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Art Still settled his family in a home on the Liberty Hills course and picked up the game. And one thing was clear to Sala — his father didn’t want him to play football.

“He started playing (golf) after football,” Sala Still said. “He didn’t want me to play football because it is so bad on your body. Golf is a good sport to play, and it suits my personality more.”

Sala might also enjoy the peace and quiet the course can provide. He is the seventh of 11 children for Art and Elizabeth Still, ranging in age from 24 to 5 years old.

“It keeps you on your toes,” Still said. “Every corner you turn, there is somebody there. You never get any rest. But it’s great at the same time. I like being around my family and my mom and dad. He’s really a great guy to be around. I love hanging out with him.”

And getting a chance to play almost every day on the course is starting to pay off for Sala. He started the season on Liberty’s junior varsity team, but made his way into some varsity tournaments late in the year before being put on the district team.

“Sala had been playing better,” said Liberty coach Forrest Bertoldie. “We had him in a couple of varsity tournaments and he hadn’t scored well, but he continued to play well in practice. We just had a feeling that he was the person to put in there.”

Part of Sala’s success has come from learning that sometimes less is more when it comes to distance off the tee.

“He’s improved a lot,” Bertoldie said. “His improvement came from throttling him back. We have tried to get him to play at about 85 percent of what he’s capable of in terms of club speed. He’s still able to generate good club speed. That seemed to really help him. And I think he’s becoming more serious about it, because he’s having success.”

Sala appears to be embracing the challenge of managing his game.

“Distance really isn’t important to me,” Sala said. “You have to be accurate. You can hit a 300-yard drive, but if you aren’t accurate, you aren’t going to score. I’d rather hit a good drive and hit a 6-iron into the green and make the putt.”

It’s a philosophy that Sala hopes to use to end the season with a flourish.

“I’m anxious to go down to state,” Sala said. “It’s going to be new for most of us. I just hope we got out there and play our best. Being a sophomore and going to state is a great thing.”

Sports writer Kevin Goodwin can be reached at 389-6652 or kgoodwin@npgco.com.