CORTEZ – With the shortest season of any of Montezuma-Cortez High School’ varsity sports, the Panthers boys golf team knows that time is of the essence.
So, when rain swept through the Four Corners on Aug. 31, head coach Jarrett Watkins’ team knew they’d have to bear down in the soggy conditions. Their persistence produced some of the best results of the year, as M-CHS finished just one stroke behind IML foe Alamosa for the top spot in the tournament.
Sophomore Malachi Padilla posted his lowest round of the season, chalking up an 81 to improve his season average, and finish sixth overall in the Panther Invitational. Padilla birdied his second hole of the day, and finished with a 39 on the back nine, while junior Rylan Maloney started even par through five holes en route to his best competitive round as a Panther, matching Padilla’s 81.
Junior Zye Kuenzler finished the inward nine with a 36 to score a 77 and take third in the tournament, while freshman Bryson Higman collected his best high school round with an 84 to match senior Cash Rogers’ number.
Senior Gavin Gill and junior Lucas Zufelt added a pair of 87s, while junior Brooks Story fired an 88.
The Panthers totaled a score of 239 in a tightly-packed field, while the Mean Moose totaled one stroke fewer to nab the team trophy.
Heading into the final month of the season, the Panthers appear poised to qualify three golfers into the 3A state championship tournament in Alamosa during the first full week of October. As of midweek CHSAA rankings, Kuenzler sits 15th in the classification, while Story is 61st and Padilla ranks 72nd – with the top 84 golfers making the cut for the 36-hole championships.
A flurry of tournaments in the next week give the Panthers a condensed opportunity to improve their standing, with tournaments in Gunnison, Durango and Pagosa Springs this week, before action in Montrose and Monte Vista leading into the final week of the regular season.
