Camp Verde High School’s golf team dropped an Arizona Interscholastic Association Division III Section V dual match by four strokes to Chino Valley High School on April 10 at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course.
The Cowboys, without regular No. 1 Kolby Hedges, lost the nine-hole round 233 to 237. Junior Nick Daniels filled in and shot a 52, his best round at that course this season and one stroke shy of Chino Valley’s C.J. Knight.
Three Cougars players finished in the top four, and the top four individual scores from each team are used to calculate the team score.
“Both teams had some struggles today,” Camp Verde coach Christian Fuller said. “I was helping some kids who were hitting balls into the hazards, but I saw a lot of positives today, too.”
Chino Valley’s Wyatt Dodds shot a 59 and Isaiah Lesar a 60 to round out the top four. The Cowboys’ William Webster and Marisa Presmyk tied for fifth with a 61. Fellow Cowboy Kendall Peterson came in just behind them with a 63, as did the Cougars’ Kylee Rabbe-Mazza.
Chino Valley’s Jeffrey Shumate carded a 69 while Camp Verde’s Royal Doungeva rounded things out with a 70.
“It took a while to get into the groove of golf from basketball,” Presmyk said. “After the past couple of weeks I’m getting my swing back, now I just have to improve.”
Fuller talked about the team making progress in the mental part of the game, which can be just as important as the physical, especially during a competitive match.
Verde Santa Fe does not have any sand hazards, but it does have dirt hazards that cut perpendicularly across the fairways and at the foot of the ninth hole. Instead of trying to hit out of them, Fuller now has the Cowboys accepting the penalty strokes in order to set themselves up for a better shot.
“I had conversations with the players on their decision making,” Fuller said. “ I do see them making better choices.”
A couple of the Camp Verde golfers played good holes. Daniels’ best was an even at the par-4 fifth, while Webster sunk a birdie on the par-3 second and even at the par-3 fourth.
“My short game is what keeps my score down,” Daniels said. “My long game is really what screwed up my score, but I had a good time and that’s all that matters.”
Contrary to Daniels’ strength, Fuller said that the short game is where most work is needed for his team, and for any player at any level.
Camp Verde returned to Verde Santa Fe for a three-way dual match against Paradise Honors High School and Sedona Red Rock High School on Monday, April 17, but results were unavailable at press time.
The team hits the links against Northland Preparatory Academy at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff.
