Fall sports got off the ground Monday morning at Powell Golf Club, as the Powell High School boys’ and girls’ golf teams hit the course to kickstart the 2026 season.

GIRLS RETURN TALENT

A year removed from winning a fourth place trophy just down the road in Cody, the Panther girls bring back several players who have played plenty of tournament rounds.

Leading the Panthers is a two-time All-State honoree in senior Emery Hernandez, who has been the highest placer all three years of her career at state and tied for ninth a year ago.

Just behind Hernandez is sophomore Ali Scott, who got plenty of experience last season and was the third golfer on the Panther state team and took 22nd.

The final returner with plenty of experience is junior Maddie Croft, who has been to state both years of her career and took 32nd last year.

“It’s really nice to have three that have been to state previously, some of them multiple times,” coach Troy Hildebrand said. 

Another junior Hildebrand said should be joining the team in tournament play this year is Grace Gordon.

“Grace will probably play a little bit more for us this year than she did last year, and it just gives us a little bit more wiggle room,” Hildebrand said.

As a team, Hildebrand is hopeful to repeat the success of the team a year ago which lost one of its three scorers, as Wheatland is expected to be a heavy favorite returning all three scoring golfers.

Apart from the Bulldogs, one of the top teams ahead of Powell will not be in the race this year, with Cody bumping up to 4A with significant returning talent likely making the Fillies a threat at that level.

“For that group, bringing home a trophy would be their team goal. Then individually, to have a couple players battling for All-State honors would be great by the time we head to Torrington (state),” Hildebrand said. “They’re (Cody) actually going to be a very good team in 4A. So we won’t miss them not being in Torrington.”

BOYS HAVE TALENT, SEEK IMPROVEMENT

A senior heavy boys’ team returns a number of players from last year’s state team, and adds another player who was unable to compete a year ago who Hildebrand believes can make an impact this year.

Leading the way is senior Cody Fisher, who made the jump to an All-State player last season with an eighth place finish, and is hoping to make an even stronger push after being in the top three after day one at state last year.

“Cody did a great job of getting out there and continuing to improve. He’s a really technical, smart player,” Hildebrand said. “He’s really good about practicing and playing with a purpose, and I think that will pay off for him this fall.”

Challenging for an individual title will be a difficult prospect for Fisher, as nine of the top 12 golfers return from a year ago, including the two-time defending state champion Tate Nichols of Wheatland, who recently placed second at the PGA High School Golf National Invitational in July.

“We’ve had a handful of players that went on to play at the college level that were very successful and really good. Tate is every bit as good or better than those guys with the results that he’s put up in some of the big time summer events he’s played in,” Hildebrand said. “If Cody is in there battling with him, which last year at state he did for a good majority of the tournament, that would be such a great sign for his game and his commitment. He’s grown every year and gotten better and better.”

Joining Fisher is another pair of seniors in Park Harvison who tied for 24th last year and Kason Sherman who tied for 39th.

Hildebrand said another senior likely to be fourth for the team is Xander Clark, who had commitments for hockey a year ago but rejoined the team in the spring and showed bright signs.

He added that in addition to those four, there will likely be a battle for the fifth spot in the lineup throughout the year.

“There will probably be a pretty good battle for that fifth spot by the time we get to the end of the year between maybe three or four guys that we’ll look at the averages and things, and it’ll kind of shake itself out in the next four weeks,” Hildebrand said.

In the team race Wheatland is expected to be the favorites once again with the Bulldogs going for three in a row, but Hildebrand expects the Panthers to be in the mix for a trophy on the boys’ side as well.

“Lander is a good, solid team. Torrington at home, they could be in the mix, that’s a course where you could have a little bit of home course advantage,” Hildebrand said. “But we’re right in that group there with the top end that we have. I feel very comfortable saying that this group should be battling for a top four spot and bringing home a trophy like the girls.”

He said he expects the Panthers to travel well despite none of the players competing on the Torrington course.

“We’ll obviously have a practice round there when that time comes, and we have a handful of guys on the boys’ side that really played a ton of golf this summer. I feel like their game will travel,” Hildebrand said. “That’s two very distinct nines, one is very technical and a little bit tricky, and the other one is very wide open.”

Starting the year the Panthers have a quick turnaround but once again begin at home, hosting their invitational on Wednesday and Thursday.

Unlike year’s past, 4A teams such as Gillette and Sheridan will not make the trip over the mountain due to Sheridan hosting an opening week event, but Hildebrand said teams from the south will make the trek to Powell including Star Valley, Evanston and Kemmerer — who brings a top individual player for both the boys and the girls from the 2A level.

“We have 11 teams coming in, and it’s hard to start on a Monday with practice and then Wednesday and Thursday we have a tournament already,” Hildebrand said. “So we really have to sort out who is playing and what order they’re playing in. Then after that first tournament, once we get 18 holes under our belt each day, we get a little bit better of an idea of how our group is going to stack up.”

Start times for the tournament are 1 p.m. on Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Panthers have a quick turnaround and head to Worland on Monday and Tuesday for the second tournament of the season.