Tiger golf team misses cut

The home course proved to have no advantage for Mountain Home last Thursday at Desert Canyon Golf Course in Mountain Home, as the high school girls and boys golf teams both finished seventh, missing the qualifying cut for the State Golf Tournament.

Bishop Kelly won the girls District III title, shooting a 337. Vallivue was second, coming in at 346. Caldwell was third at 361, Nampa, fourth, with 390, Skyview fifth, with 394, Kuna, sixth, with 417, and Mountain Home, seventh, at 488.

A team total of 405 was the mark to make or beat to qualify for state, so the top five teams all qualified for state.

Kacy Valla of Bishop Kelly was medalist, shooting a 79. Andrea Haney of Caldwell was second with an 82.

Jimena Garcia led Mountain Home with a 95, which tied her for 12th. Carley Vaughn shot a 129, Shantell Beasley carded a 130, Brianna Rodriguez came in with a 134, and Princess Young shot a 152.

Vallivue won the boys title, shooting a 310. Bishop Kelly was second with a 314, a stroke ahead of Emmett and Nampa. All four of those teams met or beat the 315 total and so qualified for state.

Caldwell came in fifth with a 320, followed by Kuna, 348, Mountain Home, 350, and Skyview, 357.

Keaton Skyles of Nampa was medalist, shooting a 71. Robbie Heithecker of Vallivue was second, shooting a 73, and Jake Lyter of Emmett won a four-way playoff for third, with a 74.

Monte Rinebold led Mountain Home with an 84, which placed him 21st. Joe Rebon came in at 86, Stephen Bitrick shot an 89, Nick Trueba carded a 91, and Layne Short came in with a 92.

"The old home court advantage didn't pull through for us today," said Tiger golf coach Scott Mederios after all the scores were in. "I was hoping it would, but that's how golf is, you never know how you're going to do.

"It's the hardest sport to be consistent in, and that showed today. We didn't shoot as well as we'd like."

Coach Mederios loses Joe Rebon and Layne Short to graduation, but believes the key to a successful high school program starts at a much younger age.

"That goes back to the whole deal that the kids need to start younger. They're improving and they could compete with these guys, but they can't compete with them if they start in ninth grade."