SNOQUALMIE – The Mount Si boys’ golf team went 9-0 in league last year and qualified three athletes to the Sea-King District tournament, but missed the putt when it came to qualifying for the state tournament.
It should have been a drop in the bucket for the team that has won the KingCo League championship two years in a row and took first at district and third at state two years ago, but it was not to be.
“Last year we failed to qualify anyone to the state tournament,” coach Garrick Phillips said. “That was pretty disappointing.”
It was a competitive year. All the scores at league were below 80 – the lowest in years, if not of all time.
For the Wildcats, Brett Fallows scored a 76 and was tied for fourth place. Sean Armstrong and Derek Lee each hit 78s, tying seven others for fifth place, only six above par.
As a team, Mount Si finished seventh at the league meet despite beating every team there earlier in the season.
At the Sea-King District meet, all three golfers failed to nab any of the top 25 spots in order to advance to state.
“It’s just golf and [the bad luck] fell upon two to three of our golfers on the same day,” Phillips said.
He still feels any of his top six can make it to district this year, which will include Armstrong, Andy Divers, Fallows, Eric Larson, Lee and Brandon Proudfoot, but they will have to go into it with a more focused mindset to make it into the state meet.
“We’re really strong for six spots,” Phillips said. “Sean and Eric are two of the most obvious choices.”
As for the other powerhouses in the league, such as Mercer Island and Newport – which had two of the best golfers last year with league champion Tristan Becker and teammate Charles Koh – only time will tell. Several seniors from Mercer Island and Newport graduated, while others, such as Koh and Becker, will be around to keep the Wildcats on their toes.
“People can really improve in the summer,” Phillips said.
His players, he hopes, have, too.
“I think we’re going to be chosen as one of the top teams going into league for sure,” Phillips said.
