PORT ANGELES — Healthy doses of talent and lasting friendships helped the Port Angeles boys golf team get back on top of the Olympic League hill this season.
The Roughriders didn’t go anywhere, really. They ran up a 30-3 mark with two Olympic League titles and two-second place finishes in the past four seasons.
Port Angeles has achieved three straight top-10 finishes at the state tournament: fifth in 2012, a school-best fourth in 2013 and ninth last season.
That steady run of success includes this year’s regular season Olympic League championship, with the Riders (8-1) topping talented teams like second-place Port Townsend (8-1), Sequim (7-2) and Chimacum (6-2) in the league standings.
A core group of four Port Angeles seniors are responsible for most of the on-course fireworks, which, in addition to the league title, include the program’s first Tim Higgins Memorial team victory since 2004 and a second-consecutive win as hosts of the Duke Streeter Invitational.
Three of those seniors have played since their freshman seasons: co-captains Alex Atwell and Mason Jackson, and Alex Brown.
The fourth, Austin Peterson, transferred to Port Angeles last season from North Carolina, and has fit seamlessly into the team as the squad’s No. 4 player.
Peterson scrambled his way to a team-best 29th individual finish in last season’s Class 2A state tournament at Chambers Bay, the site of this year’s U.S. Open.
“I was nervous at first because I didn’t know anybody,” Peterson said of joining the team last season.
“Over the last two years, we’ve formed really good relationships and become good friends.
“That’s been something that’s really made me happy. I feel I can go and hang out with my buddies and golf and just have a great time.
“There’s no jealousy. If a guy shoots really low, it helps to motivate us to focus more, to work harder, and we’re all really happy for each other.”
The foursome opens its final postseason run at today’s Olympic League Championship.
The boys and girls tournaments both tee off at 11:30 a.m. at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim.
The league tournament could serve as the final time the four players compete together as a team in this individual sport.
Just seven Class 2A and three 1A Olympic League players will advance directly from the league tournament to the state tournament.
At the 2A level, the next 11 finishers will play again for a state berth at the district tournament at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton next Tuesday.
Atwell, seeking his third straight trip to state, has the traditional golf backstory, learning the game and playing with his grandfather Doug Wickham since the age of 3.
“Alex came to the team pretty far ahead of the curve,” longtime Port Angeles coach Mark Mitrovich said.
“I’ve never changed his grip — he has his own style for that. I’ve just tried to guide him and help him keep improving.”
Much of that improvement came between his freshman and sophomore years when Atwell trimmed eight strokes off his average and began to break 80 with consistency.
“He’s the longest hitter on the team, for sure,” Brown said.
“He bombs them out every time, and they are usually 280-[yards]-plus.”
After bumpy freshman and sophomore seasons, Jackson has improved markedly.
He is seeking his second consecutive state bid after missing the cut last season.
He earned the team’s Most Improved award last season and vied with Atwell for the Riders’ No. 1-player designation at one point this year.
Jackson credits his improvement to extra practice — with a job picking up range balls at Port Angeles’ home course, Peninsula Golf Club, helping him along the way.
“I’m up here [at Peninsula] more than I am at home,” Jackson said.
“I’ll finish picking range, and then there’s a light we can turn on so I spend time putting on the practice green after dark.”
Mitrovich has been impressed by the growth of Jackson’s game.
“He’s the hardest-worker on the team,” Mitrovich said.
“Mason saw a lot of talented golfers playing ahead of him and he really internalized how much work it takes to be successful. He bought in and has really performed.”
Brown is looking for his first state tournament appearance.
He narrowly missed out on being the fifth Rider at last year’s tournament.
The disappointment of missing out on a state bid after a season’s worth of effort at improvement weighed heavily on Brown’s mind during the offseason.
“I didn’t swing or even pick up a club until [the start of practices in] March,” Brown said.
“After working so hard last year, missing out on state was tough to deal with.”
Mitrovich and Brown’s teammates worked first on changing his mind about playing, and then on how he fit into the squad.
“Alex needed to focus a little more on being a member of the team and understanding his responsibilities to the team,” Mitrovich said.
“He’s done well at that this year, and I think that growth’s helped him improve all aspects of his life. Not just his golf game, but at school and at home.”
The four are all rooting for each other to make state and compete for a team goal — equaling or bettering that school-best fourth-place finish.
Jackson added another goal.
“I’d just like us to keep things going as long as we can and keep enjoying the chances we have to play golf with each other,” Jackson said.
“This has been pretty special, and it would be great if we all can stay together for another month.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
