Tough Course, Tough Field

The postseason arrived with a new level of pressure for Newcastle, and the Dogies found themselves tested against the deepest field they have faced this fall.

Coach Brad Troftgruben has been preaching patience to his young squad, and last week’s 3A East Conference Golf Championships at Cottonwood Country Club in Torrington gave them another hard-earned lesson in what it takes to compete at the next level. The Dogies, who have spent the season playing in smaller tournaments against 2A opponents, found the jump in competition to 3A a challenge as they finished seventh with a two-day score of 874.

“Regionals was a struggle,” Troftgruben said. “I think there were probably some nerves involved with playing 3A. There were some really quality golfers, and the kid who won it shot 12 under.”

The coach said the difference was clear from the opening round, when his players fell well off the pace set by the leaders.

“We really struggled the first day and just kind of played ourselves out of the tournament,” Troftgruben said. “We put a strategy together for the second day, but being that far behind after day one took the wind out of our sails.”

That left the Dogies battling more for experience than for position, and their final scores reflected both the challenges of the course and the step up in competition. Senior Ty Stith closed with a 111 on day two to finish at 234, while junior Coen Tavagie and freshman Adryan Wolfe each posted 211 totals. Fellow freshman Asic Dawson shot 218 for the tournament. As a group, the Dogies shot four strokes worse on Saturday than they did on Friday.

“It was a difficult course, very tight with trees and that got into some of the boys’ heads,” Troftgruben said.

Compounding the challenge was the fact that Newcastle could not prepare the way other schools did.

“We can’t afford to go down and play a practice round like some teams because we can’t afford it,” Troftgruben said. “I played a spring event down there and scouted the course, but it wasn’t enough.”

Even so, Troftgruben said the experience was valuable, and he hopes the lessons learned in Torrington will help the Dogies as they move forward. The season will continue this week at the state championships in Cody, where Troftgruben and assistant coach Wyatt Voelker will take the squad west for the final test of the fall.

“They’ll all be going to state in Cody,” Troftgruben said. “I told them they have nothing to lose going to state, and they just need to show up and play.”

For the coach, the priority now is keeping his underclassmen focused on the big picture.

“I’m trying to keep the freshmen from getting discouraged. I want them to keep their head up,” Troftgruben said. “More experience never hurts anybody, and the more you play in those high-end, high-intensity meets, the better you are.”

Newcastle Results at 3A East Conference (Cottonwood CC, Torrington)

• Coen Tavagie (JR) — 100–111, 211
• Adryan Wolfe (FR) — 111–100, 211
• Asic Dawson (FR) — 101–117, 218
• Ty Stith (SR) — 123–111, 234
• Team Total: 874 (7th place)

Upton Bobcats Place Fifth at Wright Fall Invite

The Upton Bobcats earned a fifth-place team finish at the Wright Fall Invite at Haycreek Golf Club on Sept. 13, posting a two-day total of 802.

Junior Chase Juliano paced the Bobcats with rounds of 86 and 85 to finish at 171 and claim third place individually. Junior Nicolas Schiller followed with a 191 after shooting 100–91, while freshman Ridley Butler added a 217. Juniors Tristan McNutt (248) and David Wozney (249) completed the team scoring. Junior Tyson Huckins also competed, carding a first-day 99.