Bob Austin seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to Colorado high school golf.
As a player, Austin competed on two Cherry Creek teams that won state championships, in 1970 and ’71. And the year he took over as head coach of the Kent Denver boys program (2006), the Sun Devils started their current state title win streak, which sits at six and likely will reach seven on Tuesday.
“I have lived the dream,” Austin (pictured with senior Josh Repine) said after Monday’s first round of the 3A state tournament at Pinehurst Country Club. “I played on two teams that won state championships. And this is my seventh year as a coach and we’ve won (state) the first six. I’ve just been really fortunate to have really good players.”
And given how Kent Denver performed on Monday, it’s set up very nicely to win both the team and individual titles for the fourth time under Austin.
Going into Tuesday’s final round, the all-senior Sun Devil squad leads the team race by a whopping 19 strokes. And Kent’s Ben Moore (pictured at left) and two-time defending state champion Ethan Freeman fired even-par 70s to share the top spot individually, and no one else in the field shot lower than 74.
Clearly it’s gotten to the point that about the only one who can compete with Kent Denver at the boys state high school golf tournament is, well … Kent Denver.
The Sun Devils are on the verge of making history on two fronts on Tuesday. They can win their seventh consecutive state title, which would break the Colorado record currently shared by Kent and ThunderRidge (2001-06 in 5A). And if Freeman prevails individually, he’d become the first player in Colorado history to win three boys individual state high school championships.
The only problem is that for Freeman to win, Moore will fall short, or vice-versa.
“I have mixed feelings about the battle tomorrow,” Austin said. “I wish they both could win. If one of them wins in the end, I’m going to be so happy, but it’s going to be bittersweet too. They’re both great players and great seniors.”
Although it’s unlikely both Freeman and Moore will falter to the point that someone else would come out on top, three other players are within five strokes of the lead. Dylan Jirsa of Estes Park and Robby Bowles of Vail Christian share third place at 74, while Faith Christian’s Jack Cummings, a top-10 finisher last year, stands in fifth place at 75.
Team-wise, with a 7-over-par 217 total, Kent Denver is 19 ahead of second-place Estes Park.
“To be honest, coming in we just wanted to win the team title for seven in a row,” Moore said. “I was rooting for everybody on the team and it was good to see (Freeman) played well; I expected him to and he did. Tomorrow we’re going to both just try to play our best, try to win the team title and see what happens individually.”
Freeman (pictured at left), who has committed to the University of Colorado, admits he’ll probably feel the pressure of the historic situation “a little bit early” in Tuesday’s final round. “But I’m just going to try to go out there and play my own game. I’m going to try not to let that (pressure) get to me.”
That’s where Austin’s coaching may help.
“At state, there’s parents, there’s officials, there’s the press, there’s all this stuff going on, but you’ve really got to just block that out and focus on the task at hand,” Austin said. “I thought we did great with that today. We’ve got one more day and we’re going to come out tomorrow and play as well as we can, and if we’re fortunate to win, it’ll be a great honor.”
Moore and Freeman say Austin acts as a calming influence on the course, which could come in handy.
“He’s is a great coach,” Moore said. “He really cares about the team a lot and he does anything he can to help us out. He’s just a good guy to have around. We like to see him around the course. It makes you a little bit calmer. He just brings a lot of positive energy and makes the team feel good about how we’re playing.”
Allenback Fires 68 to Go Up by 3 in 4A State: Fellow Pueblo-based golfer Jimmy Makloski came in as the favorite, but Pueblo Centennial’s Jacob Allenback took a three-stroke lead after Monday’s first round of the 4A state tournament at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
Allenback shot a 4-under-par 68 and made just one bogey on Monday.
Andrew Rademacher-Howe of Silver Creek, Dylan Mitchell of Summit and Glenn Workman of Pueblo West also broke par and share second place at 71.
Makloski, the CGA Junior Stroke Play champion, opened with a 75 and is tied for 13th place.
Valor Christian, the 2009 and 2010 state champion, claimed a one-stroke lead over Pueblo South in the team competition. Valor fired a 3-over-par 219. Defending champion Silver Creek stands in third at 226.
Kinnaman Takes Two-Stroke Lead in 5A: Grand Junction’s Donny Kinnaman shot a 1-over-par 72 and grabbed a two-stroke lead in the 5A state tournament The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden.
Kinnaman birdied two of his last four holes and carded three birdies and four bogeys overall in Monday’s first round.
Two players from Ralston Valley, Jack Pedersen and Neil Tillman, share second place at 74. Douglas County’s Kyler Dunkle, who shot a 66 at regionals to qualify for state, is among six golfers tied for fourth at 75.
Ralston Valley shot a 12-over-par 225 to build a two-stroke lead over two-time defending champion Regis Jesuit in the team competition.
