A fourth-place finish might not have been the optimum outcome for the Golden Tigers boys golf team, but Coach Ryan Brewer said even another opportunity to compete at the state-level is a feather in the cap of the RHS boys golf program.

“I really enjoyed working with those guys. They worked hard all year long,” said Brewer. He commended the Golden Tigers for their visible, sustained improvement from the beginning of the season to the end – which showed in the team’s qualifying for state, “a huge feat in itself.”

Brewer said the boys struggled but played well the first day of competition. Day 2, “we improved 18 strokes from the previous day but just fell a little short.”

Brayden Bendall, Eric Boutwell, Bailey Motes, Jaceton Murray and Carson Reeves made up the state team for RHS, scoring 340 and 322 over the two-day tourney.

Murray came in as low medalist for the Golden Tigers on Day 2 with a 71, his career low. “That’s his best round ever. He seems to do that at the time we need him most,” Bendall said. He shot 82 on Day 1.

Bendall shot 78 on Day 1 for low medalist and 83 on Day 2; Boutwell, 85 and 81; Motes, 95 and 87; Reeves, 102 and 111.

For Brewer, this season marks his last at the helm of the Golden Tiger golf program. He will go to Haleyville as offensive coordinator and assistant athletic director next school year. “It’s been a blessing. I’ve really enjoyed the last three years and had some great players,” Brewer said.

As he reflected on the success of alum RHS golfers – like Eli Hodges and Joshua Seal, who both signed golf scholarships – he also spoke of certain future success for current RHS golfers, like  Boutwell, for whom, Brewer said, “his ceiling is very high. He’s very talented.” Brewer said he expects to see the eighth grader continue to advance his game. “He’s still got some room to improve and learn the ropes.” Combined with other lower classmen makes for “a good group coming back next year.”