Arbor View holds on to win first region boys golf title

Arbor View boys golf coach David Fish checked the team scores after the midway point of the final round of the Division I Sunset Region tournament and started to get nervous.

The Aggies’ lead, which was 10 strokes when play started Wednesday at exclusive Reflection Bay Golf Club, had been cut to two by Palo Verde.

“That was the uh-oh moment,” Fish said.

Anchored by Van Thomas and Sam Dickey, Arbor View held it together on the back nine despite the howling wind at Lake Las Vegas and went on to win its first region championship.

The Aggies finished the two-day tournament at 66-over-par 786, 10 shots ahead of second-place Palo Verde (796). Bishop Gorman was third at 802 as all three teams posted a second-round 405 on the 6,682-yard layout, which hosted President Obama in November.

The top two teams and the top five individuals from nonqualifying teams advance to the Division I state tournament, which starts Monday at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno.

“I’m just very proud of them that we were finally able to get over that hurdle,” Fish said. “Palo and Gorman started to fight back, and we had to kind of minimize our mistakes in this wind, and we were able to do that toward the end.”

Palo Verde sophomore Jack Trent won the Sunset Region individual title as he posted the only under-par round of the day. The native of Australia was able to control his ball flight in the difficult conditions and fired a 2-under 70 that included six birdies.

Trent finished the tournament at 3-under 141, five shots ahead of Thomas.

“Playing in the wind, this should help me in the British Open, I guess,” Trent said jokingly. “I kept it in play and played smart shots. I tried to play against the wind and hold it up.”

Thomas, the defending state champion, shot a final-round 74, while Dickey shot 79 and finished sixth. Freshman Cameron Gambini posted a 78 and was eighth as all three played the back nine at par to lift the Aggies.

In the Sunrise Region, Coronado placed three golfers in the top seven and won its seventh team title in the past eight seasons. The Cougars finished with a two-round total of 813, 12 shots ahead of Green Valley (825). The Gators edged Foothill (829) for the final berth at state by four shots.

Jalen Hodges of Coronado tied for fourth with Green Valley’s Mason Comastro after an 82. Grant McKay (85) and Aaron Knief (83) were sixth and seventh, respectively, for the Cougars.

“It was tough out there,” Coronado coach Joe Sawaia said. “I’m just real proud of them for hanging in there. They never really gave up and relinquished the lead and just kept playing and just kept grinding away.”

Foothill’s Andrew Chu claimed Sunrise medalist honors after finishing second in the past two region tournaments. The senior, who posted an opening-round 65 at DragonRidge, grinded out a 78 to finish the tournament at 1-under 143.

Chu was 5 over at the turn and bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11, but he birdied both of the par 5s on the back nine, including No. 18. Las Vegas’ Trey Jensen posted the region’s best round of the day with a 73 and finished second, 12 shots behind Chu.

“I’m happy that I got to close it out my senior year,” Chu said. “I’m just a little bummed that our team didn’t make it to state. That’s what I was mostly going for, so it’s a bittersweet moment.”

DIVISION I-A

Boulder City’s Luke Logan stopped keeping track of his group’s individual scores just before the final nine holes of the Division I-A Southern Region tournament to focus on his own game and prevent any self-induced stress.

The approach allowed the senior to stay at ease and ultimately led to a fourth consecutive region title.

Logan shot 5-over-par 77 on Wednesday to win the region title at Siena Golf Club and finished the tournament at 1-over 145. Faith Lutheran’s Charlie Magruder, the defending state individual champion, was second at 149, and Dallas Haun (153) was third for the Crusaders, who easily won the title at 780.

Boulder City was second at 877, followed by Pahrump Valley with 910.

“It means a lot (to win it four times),” Logan said. “To win it my freshman year, I had to shoot a 66. That was big because I didn’t really shoot those kind of scores then. I just really wanted to win region four times because it never happens.”

Logan, who had a three-stroke lead over Magruder going into the 17th hole, had no idea how much he was ahead.

He got into a little trouble with a double-bogey on the hole, but Magruder couldn’t capitalize.

Moapa Valley’s Jacob Causey (153) and Sierra Vista’s George Kim (158) rounded out the top five.