For the fourth consecutive tournament, the Durango Demons have crowned a champion and won their event.
Only, that’s the Demons’ junior varsity.
Their varsity, however, isn’t too shabby, either.
The Durango High School boys golf team finished second with a 236 on Wednesday at the Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose, three strokes behind the host.
Cameron Barnhardt finished second overall with a 76, only the DHS sophomore started JV on Wednesday at Bridges. He won that tournament and led the Demons to their fourth JV tournament victory in a row.
“If we had his score on varsity, we would’ve won the tournament,” Demons’ head coach Kirk Rawles said.
For the second consecutive day, Trevor Bogus and Bo Ward led the Demons’ varsity with 78s.
Cory Gillespie shot an 80, Erik Walker an 83 and Cy Spicer an 84.
Hayden Plewe of fourth-place Montezuma-Cortez won the tournament with a 74.
Rifle finished third at 240, nine strokes ahead of the Panthers.
“Those four teams are all fairly competitive, competitive players,” Rawles said. “On any given day, they could win.”
On Wednesday, it was Montrose. But, to Rawles’ point, it just as easily could’ve been Durango.
“They’re all working hard, getting scores,” Rawles said of his golfers.
For the Demons’ JV, Garrett Mulkey shot an 87, Daniel McElwain an 88, Dillon Hoselton a 104 and Blake Martin a 108.
The Demons’ varsity has been fluid so far this season, thanks to Rawles’ ability to plug and play several different golfers among his top five. Barnhardt has seen varsity time, as has Spicer, who won Tuesday’s tournament at Black Canyon with a 76.
The first two Demons to claim medalist honors and matching team victories were Mulkey and Walker.
Meanwhile, Ward, the senior from Ignacio High School who plays for DHS because IHS does not field a golf program, shot his third 78 this season.
“I think he’s finding another plateau,” Rawles said.
The team’s two seniors, Bogus and Ward, are shepherding the Demons into a new era, one that has 36 golfers this year on the roster.
“I’m trying to travel with more kids,” said Rawles, who took 10 this week to Montrose. “I’m playing as many as I can.
“The team looks healthy.”
Durango will host its annual home invitational Monday and Tuesday at Hillcrest Golf Club and Dalton Ranch Golf Club, respectively. Rawles expects 12 teams to compete at the two-day tournament, with tee times tentatively set for 10 a.m. both days.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
