Red Mountain, Colin McCarty nab Division I boys golf titles

October 30, 2010 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Red Mountain got no worse than par golf from its four scoring players Saturday and the 6-under par round of 282 was enough to land the Mountain Lions the Division I boys state golf  title at Randolph Golf Complex in Tucson.

In the individual competition, first-round leader Colin McCarty of Buena shot a 1-under 71 to win by three shots over Salpointe's Ricky Lee and Desert Vista's Colby McManus. McCarty's opening round 65 made him too tough to catch if he shot par or less again and he did just that. McCarty's two-day total of 136 was 8-under par.

Led by Marley Sweeney's 3-under 69, Red Mountain was able to overcome a one-shot lead fashioned by Desert Vista in the first round. Sweeney's 69 was followed by a 70 from Kolton Lappa, 71 from Colton West and 72 from Brett Wilson. Red Mountain finished at 569 for the 36-hole tournament, 7-under par. Desert Vista finished second at 573. Rounding out the top five teams were Pinnacle (577), Hamilton (580) and Mountain Pointe (586).

"The boys played really well today," Red Mountain coach Rich Hamilton said. "When 72 is your worst score, you know you've had a good day."

Sweeney, the only senior of the Mountain Lions top six players, picked a perfect time to show leadership.

"The 69 he shot today was his best round of the year," Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who coached Red Mountain's 2009 softball team to the 5A-I state title, joked about the Mountain Lions' penchant to come from behind.

"It's the Red Mountain way I guess," Hamilton said. "We came from behind in softball (spring) and were a shot back of Desert Vista today."

The title was Red Mountain's first since 2002 and ended a streak of five consecutive big-school titles by Hamilton.

DIVISION II

Canyon del Oro's Gentry Hicks birdied the final two holes to shoot a 2-under par 70 Saturday and take home the individual title of the Division II state boys golf tournament at Randolph Golf Complex in Tucson.

The 1-2 punch of Hicks and first-round leader and teammate Jaime Waltmire led CDO to the team title with a total of 589. The Dorados took a nine-shot lead into Saturday's final round and stretched it to 15 over runner-up Catalina Foothills (604). Notre Dame fnished third (614) and Sunrise Mountain (617) was fourth.

Waltmire shot a 73 on Saturday to finish second overall at 143. Catalina Foothills Dylan Kornberg placed third at 144. Hicks, Kornberg and Independence High's Anthony Quezada all shot 70 in the final round. Quezada place fourth at 146.