A team score in the 220s will tend to fare well in any tournament across the state, regardless of classification.
To shoot that well requires multiple golfers to fire near even-par rounds – yet it’s something that the Panthers have done with incredible consistency.
In their second home invitational of the season, the Panthers overcame early struggles to surge to a score of 227, good for second place behind 4A Durango (223).
The event served as the final home tournament before the 3A Region 1 competition visits Conquistador in late September, with the Panthers’ depth again providing the backdrop for a full team effort. Senior Vince Lopez rallied from behind to take home medalist honors with a two-under round of 70 to lead the way for M-CHS.
Lopez birdied the final two holes of the day to complete his comeback against Johnathon Smith of Pagosa Springs. After Lopez fell behind Smith by a stroke on the opening hole in the day’s final grouping, he found himself three strokes off the pace heading to the ninth hole.
Lopez pulled back a stroke with a birdie before the turn, only to watch Smith birdie both par-fives on the back nine to sustain his lead heading to the 17th hole. It was there that Lopez flipped the script, pulling level with Smith with a birdie, then sealing the win with a birdie-three on the final hole to win by a single shot.
Durango sophomore Drew Jepson bore witness to the final group drama, while finishing just two strokes off the winning total with an even-par 72.
While the drama of the final group capped the day, the Panthers posted plenty of excitement in the earlier groups, with freshman Zye Kuenzler playing holes 3 through 16 at an even par clip while posting a round of 77 that earned him a tie for sixth.
Senior Gavin Frost steadied the ship after a shaky start to fire a round of 80, finishing with 12 pars on the afternoon. Freshman Brooks Story added a round of 86 with a front nine 41 – good for 20th, while senior Frankey Montoya eagled the 15th hole on his way to an 87 and a tied for 23rd.
Senior Robert Smith finished a couple strokes back with an 89, while classmate Cole Nicholson posted a round of 110, Colby Lewis added a 115, and sophomore Gavin Gill fired a 121 to round out the Panthers’ efforts.
The round of 227 (+11) was no anomaly for the Panthers – M-CHS fired an eye-popping 218 at Black Canyon Golf Course in Montrose on Aug. 21 to finish just five shots over par as a team. Frost led the way that day with a +1 round of 71, with Lopez and Kuenzler just one shot behind.
The Panthers added a victory in Alamosa at Cattails GC on Aug. 16 with a round of 228, matching their score from their second-place effort at Aspen four days earlier. All told, it’s a M-CHS squad that appears to be ready for the deeper 3A field that awaits at both the regional and state levels later this fall.
Durango won the invite with four golfers in the top six individuals, including Jepson (72), Owen Muraro (74), Carter Hansen (76), and Benjamin Ogden (77).
M-CHS has some strong tests ahead, including a visit on Sept. 6 to the 3A state championship course at Walking Stick GC in Pueblo.
