The Montezuma-Cortez High School golf team opened the season with a fourth-place finish at the Bookcliff Invitational in Grand Junction.
What followed were two tournament titles for the young Panthers and a string of second-place finishes. Coach Micah Rudosky felt his team would be strongest at the end of the year.
On Tuesday at Rifle Creek Golf Course, the Panthers returned to championship form by defending its 4A Western Slope League Regional title. Senior Chris Aiken, freshman Hayden Plewe and sophomore Jakob Rudosky shot 76, 76 and 78 to lead the Panthers to the title with a total score of 230. Aiken and Hayden tied for second at 76 with fellow state qualifiers Tanner Coulter, Eagle Valley (Gypsum); Erik Sobeck, Steamboat Springs; and, Evan Streit, Summit (Frisco).
M-CHS junior Keith Hawkins shot 84. He will join his teammates at the Colorado High School Activities Association 4A Boys Golf State Championships at Pelican Lakes Golf Club in Windsor on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 3-4.
The Panthers were nine strokes ahead of distant runner-ups Durango and Summit, whom each shot 239.
Winning back-to-back WSL regional championships and consecutive state tournament appearances are a first in M-CHS boys golf history.
Im extremely proud of them. I think some younger players really stepped up this year, said M-CHS athletics director Jimmie Lankford, who also coached the team in Durango last week. I took them to Durango, and it was a great attitude all around. I think going back-to-back to state is awesome. I think they handled the pressure real well.
Micah Rudosky wasnt available for comment due to a professional tournament he was playing at in Denver. As the new A.D., Lankford praised his golf coach.
I think Micah did a great job getting the kids ready, he said. Hes hard on them. But hes made them so mentally tough on the golf course. The team goes out there and has fun without making any mental mistakes.
Aiken, who was named first-team All-Conference with Jakob Rudosky, finished the day strong at the 10-team tournament in Rifle, shooting a 35 on the back-9.
Palisades Kyler Smith won the individual regional title with an even-par 72. Other 4A Western Slope state qualifiers were Dylan Mitchell, Summit, 78; Michael Thomas, Durango, 78; Andrew Sady, Battle Mountain (Edwards), 80; Kolton Kyne, Montrose, 80; and, Brady McDonald, Battle Mountain, 80.
The Panthers took second at state a year ago; their highest finish in team history. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) won the 4A state championship.
Aiken took seventh at state last year to lead M-CHS. He shot 75 and 72 for a total of 147. Jakob Rudosky shot a 77 and 75 to total 152 as a freshman at state, which was good for 18th.
See Saturdays Journal for a follow-up story.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.