Sweet Home’s boys have established themselves in the pecking order of the district in golf this season.
The Huskies finished third, behind Stayton and Cascade, in a league meet at Middlefield in Cottage Grove Friday, April 13, for the third time in a row in a tournament that included all the league but Sisters.
“We’re pretty clearly the third-best team in the league,” Coach Pat Davis said.
Sweet Home finished with a team score of 361, its lowest of the season, though Davis noted that the course was shorter than some others the Huskies have played. Still, he said, “I’ll take a 361.”
Zak Fox had a break-through day, carding a 95, the best round of his career for the third-best round of the day.
“That’s the first time Zak’s broken 100,” Davis said. “We’re excited about that. I’m excited. That gives us a little bit of depth.”
For the second week in a row, the No. 1 golfer was freshman Brayden Keesee, who shot a season-low 83. Jake Hindmarsh was right behind with an 84.
Hindmarsh would have finished a lot lower, Davis said, if not for one bad hole where he wound up in the woods thre times. “It’s a Par 5 hole. He shot a 10. If he had a par on that hole, he’s at 89 and he would have finished third or fourth overall.”
Freshman Christopher May had a 99 and Carson Smith rounded things out with a 102.
Davis said that senior Seth Wright was unable to play, but had he been there, the Huskies could have shot in the 350s as a team.
The boys will play Wednesday, April 18, at Agate Beach in Newport, then will host their only home meet of the season on Tuesday, April 24, at Mallard Creek.
The top three girls spent Sunday and Monday at Bandon, where they played Old McDonald in what Davis said were daunting conditions, especially during what was supposed to be their practice round on Sunday.
“We were playing one of the best courses in the world,” he said. “The conditions were so bad, we had to walk off the course. We got three holes in.”
He said the wind was gusting from 40 to 60 mph and blowing “icy pellets” at the girls. Monday was not as bad and the Huskies were able to play an entire 18 holes.
Haley May shot 95 “that should have been 85,” Davis said. “Haley’s game still has to come around.”
Brook Womack shot her best round ever, a 107, and Nicole Grady shot a 110, which Davis said was a “solid round for her.”
“They all three played well. We were competitive. There were a couple of really good schools there, and our scores were very competitive.”
The girls will play at Chinook Winds in Lincoln City Thursday, April 19, before returning home Tuesday to host their own tournament at Mallard Creek.
Davis said he will take all six of his girls to Lincoln City.
“We’re looking at picking up a fourth and maybe a fifth for districts,” he said. “We’re starting to come into the home stretch now. Everything we do is focused on district. The girls are still in the mixed and the boys should have their sights set on state.”