Panthers show growth in Worland tourney

Posted 8/25/20

Powell High School’s boys’ golf team played in its second tournament of the season this past weekend in Worland.

As a team, the Panthers posted a combined score of 784 over the two …

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Panthers show growth in Worland tourney

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Powell High School’s boys’ golf team played in its second tournament of the season this past weekend in Worland.

As a team, the Panthers posted a combined score of 784 over the two days. Nearly every golfer on the PHS squad improved from the team’s first weekend in Cody.

“I was extremely pleased with how they stepped up and each player improved this week,” head coach Troy Hildebrand said. “Across the board we had better scores and in many cases career best efforts.”

Once again leading the charge for the Panthers was George Higgins. The senior shot a 77 on the first day and 83 on the second. Individually, he finished sixth.

“George had a solid week with the highlight coming Thursday when he shot one-under on the back nine, including back to back 2’s on a pair of very tough par 3s,” Hildebrand said. “George will continue to work hard and his steady, grinding demeanor will serve him well all year.”

Steven Stambaugh also played well in the tournament, shooting 96-95. Despite suffering a few injuries in the summer, the sophomore has “hit the ground running” to start his second year on varsity, according to the coach.

Freshman Gunnar Erickson posted two scores in the low 100s, with 100 and 104. Per Hildebrand, Erickson is a “great competitor and is really willing to put the time and effort into improving each day.”

Brandon Wentz, a junior, posted scores of 105 and 104 and was a couple of tough holes from having scores in the 90s.

“Brandon played the most consistent golf of his career this week. I love Brandon’s attitude and approach and he is getting better each week,” the coach said.

Another freshman, Isaiah Woyak, saw his scores improve in Worland (107-106). “[Woyak] is starting to figure out his strengths on the course more and more each week,” Hildebrand said.

For senior Yogi Sullivan, the Worland tournament was his most successful event since joining the program. He was able to post scores of 113-106 by “avoiding the big numbers on any hole,” the coach said.

Trevor Groves, a senior, has only one year of golf experience under his belt, so Hildebrand was impressed with his 105-115 effort in Worland. “For only having played for a year, Trevor shows a lot of promise and potential,” the coach said.

Parker Williams played in just his second tournament ever last weekend, posting two steady rounds of 117-120. Hildebrand said, “He is a player that will continue to grow and improve moving forward.”

And sophomore Seth Siebert posted scores of 125 and 118.

“He is a sophomore that has grown a lot from last year and adjusting to that change is always a challenge for young players,” the coach said.

The next few weeks will help Hildebrand fill four of his varsity slots, as there are currently around seven golfers vying for those spots.

Next up for the Panthers is a tournament in Lovell on Friday afternoon and an event in Thermopolis on Saturday morning. At the latter, Hildebrand hopes to see his two girl players — Maddi Hackenberg and Jasmin Simonson — make their 2020 debuts.

“It will be a good week to get a number of players some experience and tournament scores,” Hildebrand said.

Powell High School, Panther Golf

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