Tee up the high school sports season; the first round has arrived.
Durango High School opens the fall boys golf season with a pair of tournaments Monday and Tuesday, beginning with the Grand Junction tournament at Bookcliff Golf Club before heading to Adobe Creek National Golf Course for the Fruita Monument tournament.
“All the guys play a lot of golf in the summer time. We started last week, and they all look really good coming into the season,” said DHS head coach Kirk Rawles. “It is good to get back with them, and we hope to get up there and get rolling.”
DHS enters the 2014 season as the defending regional champions with two players, Cameron Barnhardt and Cory Gillespie, returning with state championship experience.
“Cory is a junior. He’s gone to state the last two years as a freshman and sophomore, and he played on our team that won regionals last year,” Rawles said.
Two other juniors returning to this year’s team are Cy Spicer and Erik Walker. Rawles said the team likely will round out its top-five players with Daniel McElwain.
Rawles had 36 boys come out for the team in 2013 and another 30 this year. He is pleased with the depth and talented youth he will be able to load the junior varsity squad with.
“It looks like three or four freshmen have quite a bit of experience coming in; a couple sophomores as well,” Rawles said. “We are going to take seven guys up to these two tournaments with us. You can only play five each day, but I think we can get Blake Martin and (Robert) Grogan with us one of the days.”
The golf team just began practicing one week ago. Rawles has been happy to dial the kids in on fundamentals the last week.
DHS is hosting a two-day tournament Sept. 8-9 at Hillcrest Golf Club and Dalton Ranch Golf Club. The Demons also are the host of regional championship this year, which will be played Sept. 15-16 at Hillcrest Golf Club.
“It is great for us to host regionals. We won’t have to travel as much to get rounds in on the regionals course with it being on our home course,” Rawles said. “We won the regional championship last year, so the goals is to do the same – win regionals and go back to state.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
