CORTEZ – When CHSAA shifted its state qualification format last year away from a single qualifying regional event to a season-long scoring average, the whole state paid attention.
No longer would one really good day or one poor round make or break one’s state chances – it would be the summation of the full body of work. Nearing the halfway point to the season, an experienced Montezuma-Cortez High School boys golf team has made sure that consistency wins out over the long haul.
With the three juniors, a sophomore and one senior filling out the varsity crew all capable of scoring low on any given day for second-year head coach Jarrett Watkins, the Panthers have several players already in the mix for the 84 spots in the 3A state tournament field.
Junior Zye Kuenzler returns as the lone Panther with state experience, having qualified during his previous two seasons for the orange-and-black, including a 27th place finish at last year’s 3A championships. Five tournaments into the season, he’s posted rounds in the 70s in each, including a 75 on his home course (sixth individually) Aug. 18 to lead M-CHS to a ninth-place team finish against a field of virtually every golf program on the Western Slope.
Kuenzler took medalist honors at Cattails GC in Alamosa – the site of the 3A state championships this year – posting a round of 74, a score that matched his season-opening round in Montrose. He then bested his low mark with a 72 at Cobble Creek on Aug. 20.
“I’m excited to see what our veteran players can accomplish, especially with state being held at a course that they’re very familiar with,” Watkins said.
Classmate Brooks Story seeks his first trip to the state championships, and fired statement rounds to begin the season that placed his name well inside the top 84 in the early season rankings.
His 75 at Black Canyon in Montrose to open the season accompanied a round of 77 in Alamosa, earning 12th and third respectively in those outings. He and Kuenzler’s top-three finishes led the Panthers to their best team scores (233 and 240, respectively) and their best placement of the young campaign – second place to host Alamosa in the tournament.
Sophomore Malachi Padilla has made a major jump in his second year with the program, tallying matching 84s on Conquistador and Black Canyon, an 86 at Cobble Creek, to go along with a pair of 89s in Alamosa and Durango.
Junior Rylan Maloney and senior Gavin Gill have proven their ability to break 90, with Maloney finishing as the third Panther on Tuesday with a round of 86, while Gill fired a 90 to match his score from Hillcrest’s Durango Invitational from a day earlier. Junior Lucas Zufelt sits right on their tail after a 92 in M-CHS’ first of two home invitationals this fall.
“With 18 golfers turning out for the season – nearly half freshmen – the future of this program is promising,” Watkins said. “And I’m excited to see how our younger athletes will contribute this season, too.”
Grand Junction won the Panther Invitational with a team score of 224, edging out runner-up Durango by five strokes. Monte Vista’s Connor Mellott fired the lone under-par round on the afternoon, collecting five birdies on his way to a 69. Durango’s Drew Jepson led the Demons with a 73 for a tie for second individually.
The Panthers have another chance on their home course to post strong scores on the final day in August, before gearing up for tournament action in Gunnison at Dos Rios GC on Sept. 8 and Pagosa Springs on Sept. 9. M-CHS then plays at The Bridges in Montrose on Sept. 14 and Monte Vista on Sept. 15 before their IML tournament and regular season finale at Cattails on Sept. 24. The 3A state championships are lined up for Oct. 5 and 6 in Alamosa for the 36-hole tournament.
