Eagle boys golfers back at work—with lofty goals

“It’s hard to not be excited, making a state appearance the last two years,” Coach Erin Mason said.

However, HRV lost four seniors from that team and Mason said that will present some challenges — as the Eagles rebuild. Step one is a three-way match March 14 at Indian Creek against The Dalles and Heppner.

“I have a large group of incoming freshmen, several returners and some new additions this season and things are looking good,” the coach said. “A bunch of them have been working during the offseason on their games, so we won’t be coming in flat footed this 2022 season.”

Last season, the Eagles were 5-for-5 in Intermountain Conference tourneys during the COVID-shortened season. This will be HRV’s final season in the IMC, as the Eagles will compete in the Portland-area Northwest Oregon Conference in 2023.

“I certainly plan to go out with a bang and leave our mark,” Mason said. “NWOC is familiar with us, as we have faced their schools in the past for regional playoffs and had success. We traveled to the NWOC last season for a tournament, short notice on a course we had never seen, and finished second out of eight schools.”

Milwaukie’s La Salle High edged HRV for the top spot in that tourney, but the Eagles turned the tide on the Falcons at state at Springfield. Fifteen complete teams competed in the 18-hole tourney at the par-72 course; HRV shot a four-player total of 353, edging La Salle for the fourth-place trophy in a tiebreaker.

“Coming off a fourth-place state finish last year was amazing,” Mason said. “I, along with the team, will carry that momentum into this season.”

Four members of the state tourney placing team are gone: Ren Tappert finished fourth overall at state; Dylan Santee was 18th; Ian Searcy 24th; and Owen Clemett was 28th in the tourney held at Pine Ridge Golf Course.

Kerinan Chown, who was 39th at state a year ago, returns for his junior season, as does Forest Lawson, who was 68th.

This year’s OSAA Class 5A state tournament is May 16-17 at Trysting Tree in Corvallis. One Intermountain Conference team will automatically qualify for state, based on season performances. Three other IMC teams will compete in a regional tournament May 9 and 10 at the Greenback Course at Heron Lakes in Portland against three teams from the Northwest Oregon Conference. The top two teams from regionals also will advance to the state tourney.

Two individual golfers from the IMC also will advance to state — based on season performances — as well as four individuals at regionals who are not part of state qualifying teams.