A year ago, the Temescal Canyon boys golf team won a CIF Southern Section Division 6 boys golf team championship in convincing fashion.
Monday afternoon at Meadowlark Golf Club in Huntington Beach, Alta Loma followed in the Titans stead … albeit with a little bit more drama.
Alta Loma had a three-shot lead with four of their five counting scores in and were waiting for their last score to post. Junior Matthew Cromer had a pair of short par 4s left. Cromer double-bogeyed the 337-yard, par-4 first hole, but his par at No. 2 gave Alta Loma a team score of 411. It was good enough for a one-shot win over Damien and is believed to be the first section title in program history for Alta Loma, which opened in 1963.
“I didn’t look at the live scoring at all today, trying to be present with our golfers, but our captain (Jake Badeau) was and once he said we had a lead I tried to get back out to see Matthew finish.” Alta Loma coach Mel Morales said. “I didn’t make it but I’ll never forget the feeling once I heard par come out of his mouth for his score at the last hole, sealing the win.”
Joel Nava’s six-over par 76 led Alta Loma, which also got counting scores from a pair of freshmen in Jaxson Holguin (82) and Travis Close (85). Badeau added a second 82 in addition to Cromer’s 86.
“Joel’s maturity level has come a long way this season and allowed him to succeed in moments like this,” Morales added. “We may not get the kids with significant tournament experience but they work hard and we’re blessed with great partners like Golf Galaxy in Upland and San Dimas Canyon Golf Course that make this possible.”
The aforementioned Titans put up a valiant defense of their title but came up six shots short behind a 76 from Cash Schoo and 78 by Caleb McSpadden, both juniors.
Inland teams fared well in this division with Redlands Adventist finishing seventh after shooting a 422, led by JC Casaclang, who made three birdies in a five-hole stretch to start his back nine en route to a 71. Notre Dame finished eighth at 425, led by Cooper Gallegos’ 79. United Christian Academy was two shots behind Notre Dame in 10th, with Derek Okubo’s 75 leading the way. Chino’s Troy Borges shot the tournament’s low individual score of 2-under-par 68.
Riverside Poly, playing in the Division 1 tournament at El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach, nearly gave away a spot in Thursday’s CIF-SS team championship.
But the Bears, who at one point had a seven-shot advantage on 10th place nearly vanish, posted a 381 (+21) and tied for eighth place to move on. Freshman Grady Emerson led the Bears with a four-birdie and two-bogey round of 70, while Jack Wasserman (73) and Sam Bonzoumet (76) also broke 80.
In other CIF-SS team divisional action earlier this week:
Division 2: Southwestern League champion Great Oak fell out of Division 1 and into Division 2 over the last few weeks of the season. The Wolfpack very nearly brought home their sixth team divisional title in 16 years but fell five shots short of Oaks Christian, which shot a 371 (+11) at Bear Valley Golf Club in Victorville to win the championship. Koa Baur led Great Oak with an even-par round of 72, starting his back-nine with two birdies and an eagle in a four-hole stretch. League champion Harrison Budz finished with three birdies in his last five holes to post 73. Dominic Wilson’s 74, Thomas Sandifer’s 78, and Kyle Yoda’s 79 rounded out scoring for Great Oak. The Wolfpack, who were hoping to be one of four teams to advance based on adjusted team handicap to Thursday’s CIF/SCGA team event at Temecula Creek Inn, found out they came up just short of that goal when results from Division 4 were posted. Linfield Christian finished 19th, led by Luke Bohmer’s 76 and Alfredo Guerra’s 78.
Division 3: Chaparral and Temecula Valley both finished in the division’s top 10, shooting 394 (9th) and 397 (T10), respectively, at Green River Golf Club in Corona. Xavier Prep won the title with a score of 384. Chaparral’s Troy Song led all individual scorers in this division with a 67 that included six birdies and a bogey. Temecula Valley freshman Andreas Agoritsas led the Golden Bears with a 76. Diamond Bar finished 18th after shooting a 408, led by Sampson Li’s 79.
Division 4: Big VIII League champion Santiago led five area teams who played in this division on Los Serranos Country Club’s North Course, claiming a 10th-place finish after shooting a 398 (+38). Freshman Gavin Magowan (T18) led the Sharks with a 76 while Gavin Carpenter (77) and Rohan Mehtani (78) also added scores under 80. Etiwanda tied for 11th after shooting 400, Roosevelt shot a 402 and finished 13th, Los Osos posted a 405 which was good enough for a 13th place finish and Ayala shot 416 for 20th. Gaurav Batta led Roosevelt with a 76 while Etiwanda got a pair of 77s from Matteo Neri and Nathan Norkunas. Yanfeng Guo also led Los Osos with a 77 and Jake Hirose’s 81 led Ayala.
Division 7: On the Butterfield Stage course at El Prado Golf Club in Chino, Austin Axe led Ontario Christian with an 83 as the Knights posted a 448 (+88) to finish third. Patriot finished tied for fifth at 457 behind an 82 from Tanner Medrud, while Crossroads Christian and St. Jeanne de Lestonnac shared eighth at 461 (+101). Upland rounded out the top-10 at 469 (+109). Joshua Ji shot a 79 for Crossroads, while Sean Ge led St. Jeanne with a 75. Landon Butler and Jackson Hauducoeur led Upland with a pair of 90s. Perris shot a 487 to finish 11th, Orange Vista’s 493 gave them a 12th place finish, and Rim of the World shot 496 to finish 13th. Lucas Nering shot 76 to lead the Panthers, Zachary Thomas’ 87 led Orange Vista, and Christian Granger’s 80 led Rim of the World. Ge had the day’s second-lowest score, while Nering, Ji, Granger, Rhett Turner of Crossroads, and Medrud all finished in the top 10 individually. Axe’s 83 was good for 11th.
