Over the years, the Carson High boys golf team has found out how important - and costly - one stroke can be.
That message was drove home again on Tuesday at Wild Creek as the Senators were able to beat Reno High by one stroke in a Sierra League Tournament. Carson finished at 397 while Reno finished at 398 in the second Sierra League event of the year. In the first league event, Reno finished first, beating second place Carson by five strokes.
The match Tuesday likely resembled the dog fight that's going to come at the Northern 4A Championships in which only two teams will advance to the NIAA State Championships. Carson and Douglas figure to be two of the teams in the middle of the fight.
Carson had three golfers place in the top six in Tuesday's event. J.T. Cockerill and Kyle Winter each shot a 3-over-par 75 to tie for second. "They played really solid rounds of golf," Carson coach Rod Butler said.
Wooster's Bobby McCracken shot a 74 to finish first. Kyle Bacon fired an 80 to take sixth.
Also for the Senators, Tyson Roser shot an 83, Matt Mitchell fired an 84 and Brice Crook added an 88. "They team played really well," Butler said.
But Butler added that all of his players walked off the course feeling like "that was the worst round they could have had."
Butler noted the conditions were tough with fast and firm greens. "That gave a lot of guys trouble," he said. "The course played really tough."
Butler said a key for Carson was its consistent play. "The good thing about it is we didn't have any really bad holes," he said.
Bacon was "nice and steady which is what we need him to do every time out," Butler said.
Carson should have a better idea of where it stands in the Northern 4A today and Thursday when it hosts its invitational at Eagle Valley. Shotgun start is set for 1 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Thursday.
Two of the High Desert League's top teams, Fallon and Galena will compete as 18 teams from California and Northern Nevada will play in the event.
HIGH DESERT LEAGUE
Fallon and Galena got a head start for today's Carson tournament in their High Desert event on Tuesday at Eagle Valley and Fallon continues to look like the team to beat.
Fallon scorched the Eagle Valley course with a 361 while Galena was second with a 387. Fallon had five golfers in the top eight as Jason Kirby led the way with a 5-under-par 67.
Also for Fallon, Scott Smith fired a 72 (second), Andy Hicks had a 73 (fourth), Charlie Lockwood shot a 74 (fifth) and Braydon Jacobs added a 75 (eighth).
For Galena, Kyle Erickson shot a 75, Dan Whitlinger and Ryan Hill each fired a 76, Trent Hays had a 79, Wade McElroy added an 81 and Joel Rivadeneyra had an 85.