Can Rocky Mountain dethrone six-time state golf champ Eagle?
The scene at the end of every 5A boys state golf tournament the past six years has ended the same way, with Eagle huddling around and posing with the team trophy.
The Mustangs have won six straight state team championships, including rallying on the final day of last year’s state tournament to edge rival Rocky Mountain.
The Grizzlies enter this week’s state tournament, Monday and Tuesday at BanBury Golf Course, just as they did last year — sweeping the regular-season meetings against the Mustangs and as owners of the district title.
“But that happened last year, too,” Rocky Mountain coach Mike McCrady pointed out. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s what happens at state. The big picture, we’re always focused on that.
“Our view is they are the king of the hill until they’re not. Our kids are pretty determined to make that happen.”
Rocky Mountain features a deep, but still young, lineup led by three sophomores in Carson Barry, Samm Tidd and Drew Reinke. They team with junior Ranger Downs and senior Henry Bernard, and all five finished inside the top 10 at the district tournament.
But Eagle will host state on its home course. And the Mustangs still field Josh Gliege, a Texas A&M commit who went wire-to-wire to win last year’s state tournament and shot a 65 on Day 2 to lead the Mustangs’ team comeback.
The rivalry has even developed off the course, with both team’s Twitter accounts sniping at each other throughout the season. McCrady said he doesn’t know who runs the accounts, but he said most of the players are friends and belong to the same country clubs.
“You can’t say anything when you have nothing to say,” McCrady added. “And honestly, we have nothing to say. We won a district title, yeah. But nothing matters until you win state.”
Active dynasties
Idaho high school programs with the most active consecutive team title streaks.
School | Titles |
Soda Springs girls XC | 10 |
Eagle boys golf | 6 |
Century volleyball | 6 |
Twin Falls boys golf | 5 |
Pocatello boys XC | 5 |
This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 11:37 PM with the headline "Can Rocky Mountain dethrone six-time state golf champ Eagle?."