The Buffalo Golf Club was the toughest test the Powell High School golf team has faced this season, but you wouldn’t know it from the Panthers’ scores.

The PHS boys posted their lowest team score of the season on the Buffalo course, with the four players’ scores coming in at 389. The tournament was a Thursday-Friday event, but like several other teams, the Powell squad only competed one day, which left them out of the running for individual or team awards. Still, the boys’ score beat out three other teams on the day.

Additionally, sophomore Gunnar Erickson broke below the 90-stroke threshold and posted an 88, which put him toward the top of the pack on Friday.

“I was really pleased with how he battled and kept his round going to stay under 90,” PHS coach Troy Hildebrand said of Erickson. “That is a nice mental barrier to break through right here before Conference and State.”

Isaiah Woyak fired a round of 95, which Hildebrand described as “much closer to the type of golf that he expects out of himself and where we need him as a team.”

“Like Gunnar, he seems to be trending in the right direction down the stretch,” the coach said.

In his first time on the Buffalo course, Trey Scott posted a 102 and earned kudos from his coach on how he handled the challenging greens.

“Trey is working very hard each week on all aspects of his game and he could really put together a nice finish to his freshman season,” Hildebrand said.

Andrew Jones got off to a rough start, but hung on to put together a round of 104.

“Andrew is always looking for ways to improve, and I know he will make the most of these final two weeks,” Hildebrand said.

The Panthers’ lone girl, Meg McDaniel, shot a 132 in her final tournament of the season.

“Meg [McDaniel] had a few tough holes Friday but overall for her first time around the Buffalo course she did an excellent job,” Hildebrand said. “Meg has worked very hard on her chipping and short game the past four weeks and hopefully she’ll be leaving this senior season as someone that will be golfing for a very long time.”

While other fall sports are just ramping up, the golf season is nearing its end. The Class 3A West conference tournament begins Friday and wraps up Saturday in Pinedale.

“Our kids should really enjoy the course and it will be nice to see the teams that we haven’t seen so far this fall in Star Valley, Lyman, Green River and the host Pinedale,” Hildebrand said. 

The tourney will also help determine which five Panther boys will make the trip to state on Sept. 17-18 in Lander.