We had some good years in 3A, but nothing like what we’re doing now. This is new territory for us. We’re excited, but there’s still plenty of golf left. – Wasatch head golf coach Rod Reaveley
HEBER CITY — In the midst of the high school football, volleyball and girls soccer seasons in Utah is a sport that receives much less attention during the fall. That sport is golf. And in the UHSAA, it is the boys who take their turns on the links in the autumn months.
After four region matches, Wasatch, not known for being a golf powerhouse, has four team wins and three individual first-place medalists legging out a near 50-stroke advantage over the second-place team in Region 8, Salem Hills.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever won four in a row,” said Wasatch head golf coach Rod Reaveley. “We had some good years in 3A, but nothing like what we’re doing now. This is new territory for us. We’re excited, but there’s still plenty of golf left.”
On Monday at East Bay Golf Course in Provo, Wasatch finished off its second consecutive team round of 297 to take the match. Three scores in the low 70s did it for the Wasps, led by junior Dan Briggs, who recorded a 71 for the individual low round on the day.
Briggs was four strokes down heading into the back nine before streaking with five birdies in the last six holes. The hot finish vaulted the junior to the top of the leader board where he finished with his second 71 of the year. His previous 71 also earned him the medal in the season opener at a wet and muddy Dinaland Golf Course in Vernal.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the birdies or anything like that,” Briggs said. “I just had a goal in the back of my mind of 30 at that point — trying for a 69. I knew I’d need to play really good on the back half, so I just concentrated on making shots.”
Briggs sliced several strokes off his round with solid putting that eventually gave him the lead over Steven Barton of Salem Hills and Creed Sermersheim of Spanish Fork. It also kept him ahead of teammate Jack Holmes.
Holmes, who was the individual winner a week ago at Soldier Hollow in Midway, finished one stroke behind Briggs with a 72. It was Holmes’ second 72 in a row as that number was good enough to top Briggs by a stroke at Soldier Hollow last Monday. Holmes tied for second with Barton.
Briggs and Holmes have become a formidable duo as of late for the Wasps this season, with senior Mitch Gogan often on their heels. At East Bay on Monday, Gogan finished with a 73, tying his low round for the season and giving him a solid third-place finish. Gogan, who also has a 77 and a 79 this year, is also a threat to win at any tournament.
“Everybody on the team has worked really hard,” added Briggs. “There is a lot of competition between us. Everybody’s been playing tournaments in the summer and just really playing every day to get better. It's like we’re all pretty good now and it's become more like a competition between us than with everybody else.”
With the four best scores from each squad comprising the team's total each match, it is important to have good rounds by everyone. The Wasps are fortunate to have a few golfers who have the ability to score a great round to help keep the team's numbers low. Cayden Giles, who shot a 79 on Monday; Mike Hanks, who shot a season-low 75 at Soldier Hollow; and Ben Schofield, who came in with a strong 78 at Soldier Hollow as well, have all taken turns at a top four finish for Wasatch.
Brody Henderson has also shot well for the Wasps, continuing to take strokes off his game to get down in the 70's.
The competition within the Wasatch clubhouse is what Reaveley believes is raising the bar for his players.
“We’re a deep team,” he said. “The boys are competitive. They want to be good and they want to win. It’s a hard-working group. They’ve been incredible.”
Last Monday at Soldier Hollow — which just happens to be the location for the Utah State Finals next month, five Wasatch golfers shot in the 70s with the low three scores all recorded by Wasps, giving the team a 1-2-3 finish.
“I said early on, for us to be a serious contender, we would need three or four guys to consistently score in the 70s,” Reaveley added. “That’s not hard to figure out, but the kids have bought in. These goals, like shooting 70, or scoring under 300, are actually happening now.”
The coach, now in his 18th season at Wasatch, has seen an incredible growth in his sport in the Heber Valley. He credits assistant coach Bill Probst and local pro Chris Stover with helping take the Wasps to a higher level.
“We have some of the best courses in the state in Wasatch,” Reaveley said. “Our junior programs are doing a great job and getting more and more kids playing at an early age. They can actually play the game now as freshmen coming in instead of having to learn the game completely. It’s definitely rejuvenated our program at the high school level. I’m excited for the future of Wasatch golf.”
With four events down and just three to go, Wasatch is confident it can hold on to its big lead in Region 8. The challenge will be to continue to play championship-caliber golf on the way back to its home course at Soldier Hollow for state.
The final three matches at Gladstan, Spanish Oaks and Hobble Creek, respectively, won’t be easy, however, playing on courses Reaveley describes as “quirky.”
“Course knowledge is essential on the ones that we’re finishing up on,” Reaveley said. “They’re not the real long courses, they’re tougher tracks — with more quirks about them. The guys, though, because of playing in the UJGA and having played here before with us, know what to expect. They’re experienced for being so young, and that plays well for us holding onto our lead.”
Briggs, who is now leading Region 8 by more than 10 strokes, is looking forward to the last three matches of the regular 2015 campaign. “I like the tougher courses,” he explained. “It really brings out the better golf in me and I think it will for all of us. You can just really measure where you are against the rest of the competition. I’m excited about the rest of the way.”
Kenny Bristow is the sports editor and staff sports writer for the Wasatch Wave and contributes to the Deseret News high school coverage for the Wasatch region. Email: kennywbristow@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.