Grizzlies tie Golden Bears
For the first time this season Granite Hills High School’s boys golf team placed first in an East Sequoia League mini meet by finishing with a team score of 250 to tie first-place Sierra Pacific in Monday’s nine-hole meet at River Island Country Club.
For the first time this season Granite Hills High School’s boys golf team placed first in an East Sequoia League mini meet by finishing with a score of 250 to tie first-place Sierra Pacific in Monday’s nine-hole meet at River Island Country Club.
The Grizzlies and Golden Bears are shaping up to dethrone the defending ESL champion Spartans of Strathmore, who shot a 254 to come in third. As a team Lindsay did not place due to only having four players for the meet.
Granite Hills’ No. 1 golfer Colton Painter carded a 42 to lead the Grizzlies while Strathmore’s No. 1 Jeeven Larson shot a 41 for the lowest score of the meet. Following Painter for Granite Hills was No. 2 Shane Lozano with a 43, No. 3 Stephen Land with a 45, No. 4 Juan Flores with a 57 and No.
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Sergio Salinas with a 63. “Colton and Shane have been very consistent,” GHHS head coach Shelly Lozano said. “Colton is averaging 38 and Shane 42. Stephen dropping [to] mid-40 scores is a plus. The real test will be the No. 4, 5 and 6 dropping into 50s and we could potentially beat Sierra Pacific and Strathmore [for the championship].”
Due to an incoming storm what was supposed to be the ESL schools’ first 18-hole meet of the season was cut back to nine. The teams will play their first 18-hole mini meet on Monday, April 23 at Kings Country Club in Hanford while the ESL championship meet will be held at Ridge Creek Golf Club in Dinuba on Tuesday, May 1st.
“Today’s weather was crazy,” Shelly Lozano said. “April showers with winds and the wetness does affect players, especially newer golfers. I noticed the effects on the No. 4, 5 and 6 [Alexander Knutson] golfers...the boys were really looking forward to 18 holes today and disappointed when us coaches pulled them off after playing 14 holes, because they were finally adjusting to the weather conditions.”
The 18-hole meets are to prepare golfers for playoffs where teams will need a 475 or better at their league championships to compete at the CIF Central Section Division III Championship the following week. Individual golfers will need an 85 or lower to qualify for Area.
On playing 18-hole mini meets, Shelly Lozano said, “Boys will need a positive mind set and tostay healthy and we can do it. It’s a great possibility.”
For Strathmore No. 2 Lucas Wilkinson shot a 47, No. 3 Chris Ferrer a 50, No. 4 Samuel Wilkinson a 56 and No. 6 Nevan Cox a 60 to round out the Spartans scores on the front nine. Under firstyear head coach Eddie Green, Strathmore has held onto third place in the ESL by finishing third in all but one meet because of the Spartans missing one of their top three golfers in the first three meets of the season.
Along with being the defending ESL champions, the Spartans are also the reigning Valley
champions and boast The Recorder’s 2017 All-orange Belt Boys Golfer of the Year in Larson. The junior qualified twice for the CIF Southern California Regional Championship meet as an individual and has a good chance of returning once again according to Green.
“I’ve got some high hopes for Jeeven, Lucas, and even Chris,” he said. “Those guys have been playing real well this year. So I’m hoping they’ll advance at least individually.”
On the season Larson has shot around 36 and 38, while the sophomore Lucas Wilkinson is shooting between 43 and 47. The Spartans have four freshman on the team, including Cox, who had never played golf before. Despite the different levels of experience Green said the team continues to improve,
especially in the area of course management.
“We’ve had a lot of young kids that are starting out in the 80s and so just have course management, pace of play - they’re doing a lot better and kind of getting it,” Green said. “That’s where I’d say our best is. We’ve made a lot of improvements there.”
The Cardinals are another team in a boat of varying experience but have an “up-and-comer” in No. 1 Isaac Munoz. The sophomore shot a 48 in Monday’s meet and has consistently had the team’s lowest score in the past three mini meets.
“He’s been consistently shooting in the 40s on our nine-hole matches,” first-year LHS head coach Paul Dieterle said. “He’s probably our best chance to have
someone go to Area or Valley.”
Also for the Cardinals No. 2 Gaspar Andrade carded a 61, Isaac Castro a 62 and Benjamin Macias a 71. Both Andrade and Castro are returners while Macias is a freshman novice.
“This is like his second month ever playing,” Dieterle said. “Just last week he started finally hitting the ball in the air. He’s actually improving quite a bit, it’s just not showing up on the score card yet.”
In his first season with the Cardinals, Dieterle said he’s been enjoying his time and that it’s been good to see the team’s improvements.
“We have a great group of kids, they’ve been working really hard,” he said. “They just, they’re always laughing. They’re a real pleasure to be around to be honest with you.”