Although the Sedona Red Rock High School golf team shot another qualifying score for the Division III state tournament last week, it was mixed in with its first loss that left head coach Dennis Mobley unsatisfied.

“Over the course of the year, we fully intend to close the current gap in team scores,” he said after the Scorpions shot a 177 Thursday, March 20, at Oakcreek Country Club — nine strokes short of qualifying and 14 strokes short of Estrella Foothills High School.

“Estrella Foothills is one of those schools that we are taking aim at,” he said. “They are an excellent team that may have intimidated us here early in the season.”

Only SRRHS junior Gary Schlee could keep pace with the Wolves, a favorite for the Division III title with three team qualifying scores already this spring, led by junior Boston Richardson’s one-over-par 37. Schlee and Estrella Foothills senior Greg Sund both shot individual qualifying rounds at 5-over-par.

And Schlee, a transfer from Nevada, had to sink a 35-foot putt on the ninth hole to achieve that 41 — his third qualifying score for State in as many matches.

“I hadn’t been playing real well that day,” he said. “On the last hole, I had to make the last putt to qualify for state, and I did. It felt really great.”

Juniors Savanah Cooper and Jasper Herrick both shot a 45 for the Scorpions, with junior Skylar Richardson one stroke off that pace and sophomore Keagan Webster adding a 48 as SRRHS outshot Phoenix Christian High School March 20 to improve its dual match play record to 5-1.

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, March 26, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.