Viking boys take home 5A state title

There was a point Tuesday when Coeur d’Alene High coach Darrell Hull half-jokingly requested some heart medicine and co-coach Bryan Duncan was scurrying around the golf course trying to calculate in-progress scores of Vikings players.

The two were walking billboards for stress — with good reason. It appeared that a State 5A title might be slipping away with Mountain View cutting into the Vikings’ five-shot, first-day lead.

But then the official scorers posted Russell Grove’s 73 and an 81 for a Mountain View counterpart, allowing CdA coaches to resume normal breathing as they watched Ryan Morton look over an eagle putt on the 18th green at the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club.

Morton made birdie to cap a 75 as the Vikings posted a two-day total of 601, seven shots in front of second-place Mountain View, to end three years of state frustration. CdA had finished second or tied for second the last three years.

“We’ve been so close the last few years,” Grove said. “I’m glad we finally actually did it.”

So was Hull, who is stepping down with three titles in his six years.

“I’m proud of the boys,” he said. “Those three seniors (Grove, Morton and Taylor Pierce) all stepped up — and our other kids did, too — and that’s the highlight of your golf career in your senior year when you can win the state championship.”

Pierce played even par over the last 10 holes to card a 75, bouncing back nicely from Monday’s 83. Sophomore Taylor Lowe and junior Mike Dorosh each shot 81.

“I went and hit a lot of practice balls (Monday night) and I slowed everything down and got my swing back,” Pierce said.

All seven teams shot higher scores Tuesday compared to Monday. CdA’s 304 was seven shots worse than Monday, but still the top score of the day, in part because of Tuesday’s treacherous pin placements. Entering the two-day event, many thought the players would scorch the supposedly benign course, but only two players finished under par.

Prior to the tournament, coaches elected to award an unofficial two-day medalist trophy. Mountain View’s Joe Panzeri, who lost to Morton in a five-hole playoff for medalist Monday, claimed the trophy with a nifty 70 for a two-day total of 6-under. Morton was next at 1-under. Grove was third at 3-over.

Twin Falls’ girls rolled to the team title with a two-day total of 655. Eagle was second at 704. Skyview’s Kali Quick was the two-day medalist, following up Monday’s 76 with a 1-under 73.

Twin Falls players took three of the top five two-day spots. All four Bruins shot between 77 and 84 Tuesday. “There were no surprises,” coach Paul Stover said. “They’re all capable of low scores and they’re very consistent. It was fun to see them come through.”

In the end, CdA came through, much to the relief of Hull and Duncan.

“You hear reports from the course that Ryan is 3-over and Russ is 3-over and Taylor (Lowe) might be imploding, and then I’m looking at the Mountain View scores and I’m thinking, ‘This is really close,’ ” Hull said. “I’m just glad for the kids, and it’s well deserved. I don’t think there’s a group that worked harder than these kids, and it paid off.”

Morton was even on the front nine, but lost ground with a bogey at 12 and a double at 14.

Still, he was all smiles after the team collected the state title.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “It was a fight for me on the back side, a big struggle. Basically I didn’t putt well. I hit a couple of bad shots and there were a couple I should have got up and down. Taylor Pierce really stepped up and everyone has been consistent all year. It’s been great not having to worry about what you shoot because you know the other guys are going to come through.”

Grove three-putted 18 for par, which, at the time, left him wondering how costly that might become.

“I thought it was going to be really close and I really wanted to birdie that,” he said. “My first putt was just horrible. I didn’t know how close (the team score) was, but then they told me that everybody else was shooting pretty high.”

4A

Bishop Kelly shot a final-day 315 to win the boys team title at Hidden Lakes Country Club near Sandpoint.

Bishop Kelly finished with a 614 total, 14 shots better than second-place Moscow. Post Falls (643) was fourth.

PFs’ Nick Cuchessi shot a 2-over-par 73 for the best round of the day, one shot better than Moscow’s David Nuhn.

Caldwell (684) cruised to a 101-stroke victory over Bishop Kelly to win the girls team title.

3A

Weiser’s boys and girls walked away with trophies after the final round at Stoneridge Golf Club in Blanchard.

Weiser won the boys title with a 620 total over the two-day event, 12 strokes better than runner-up Payette. The Weiser girls breezed to a 50-stroke victory over second-place Shelley, 711-761.

Lakeland’s Casey Murphy turned in the tourney’s best round with a 3-under-par 68 on Tuesday.

2A

It was no contest in the race for team titles at the Orofino Golf and Country Club and Kayler’s Bend Golf Course.

Homedale waltzed to a 90-stroke victory over runner-up Glenns Ferry for the girls title, while Wendell rolled to a 32-stroke win over runner-up McCall.

Wallace (374) and Clark Fork (382) placed sixth and seventh in the boys play.