The Grand County Red Devil boys golf team won its second consecutive state championship, scoring a two-round 624 to edge second-place Waterford’s score of 637 in the two-day state championship tournament at Soldier Hollow in Midway on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 5 and 6.
Grand shot the low score on day one of the tournament at 307, leading all other teams by 15 strokes before Waterford bested the Red Devils by two strokes on the second day.
Junior Alec Williams placed third overall, shooting a day one 72 and a day two 76 for a 148. Waterford’s Jack Nilsen won the individual title at 142. Nilsen and Williams each tied for 9th place in 2015.
“(Waterford has) done really well coming into second place,” Red Devil boys golf coach Aaron Woodard said. “They’ve got a strong kid who was able to hold onto it both days. The thing about golf is you can have two good days, one good and one bad, or two bad days and change the outcome of the tournament.”
Junior Masen Ward placed fifth at 151, junior Brendon Woodard finished ninth at 158 and sophomore Jaxen Saunders placed 16th at 168. Freshman Luke Williams and sophomore Kane Scherer also competed for the Red Devils.
Aaron Woodard said having three golfers finish in the top 10 is a testament to the success of Grand’s program.
“We have a winning team because the kids are putting the effort in during the summer,” he said.
Aaron Woodard said Moab has a good junior golf program during the summer, which the high school golfers help out with for several weekends.
The Red Devils have been a competitive program for most of the last 20 years, but have been a dynasty for the past six. Aaron Woodard was an assistant for two of those six years and has served as head coach for the past four. Grand has finished no lower than third in the last six state tournaments, with titles in 2015 and 2016, second-place finishes in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and a third-place in 2012. With the entire team set to return, Grand should be in the hunt for a three-peat in 2017.
“It’s really exciting that we still have such a young team and we still took state this year,” he said. “We’ll have a chance to take it again next year with everyone coming back.”
Grand edges Waterford 624-637 in two-day tournament
We have a winning team because the kids are putting the effort in during the summer.
