The Division III State Golf Tournament is set for Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11 at the OMNI Tucson National Sonoran Course. This spring, the top team from each of the seven sections will earn an automatic playoff berth along with eight at-large berths based on ranking. Additionally, the top 15 individuals not attached to a playoff team will qualify as long as that player has seven qualifying rounds.

Two of the teams set to qualify for the state playoffs met each other Wednesday at the Oro Valley Country Club and ALA-Gilbert North came away with a 164 to 176 win over Pusch Ridge Christian Academy.

ALA-Gilbert North is currently ranked No. 7 in the state and Pusch Ridge is No. 12 and both appear safe bets with the Eagles leading Section 7 and the Lions taking one of the at-large berths. That means both squads will be allowed to take a full contingent of athletes to state and the players will not have to worry about their personal ranking.

Even so, Pusch Ridge junior Jackson Orr is ranked No. 26 and ALA-Gilbert North junior Payton Dye is No. 31. Currently, the individual ranking cut for individuals not attached to a playoff team is just under 7.4 which would put Orr and Dye in the playoffs as individuals along with Eagle standouts Ryder Rojas and Blake Pierce. Bailey Axen would qualify from Pusch Ridge.

ALA-Gilbert North sophomore Justin Friend is ranked No. 69 but he, along with Axen, came away with a 3-over-par 39 to win the match on Wednesday. Rojas took third at 40.

Friend was 3-over through five holes and Axen was 1-over after the seventh hole but back-to-back bogies led to the tie. Rojas was even after six but he fell off on the final three holes.

ALA-Gilbert North is slated to play again on Thursday and the team has five more matches set. Pusch Ridge will play again on April 28 and the team has three more matches scheduled.

(Ryder Rojas/Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

ALA Gilbert North 164, Pusch Ridge 176

1 Justin Friend, ALA-GN 39 +3

1 Bailey Axen, PRCA 39 +3

3 Ryder Rojas, ALA-GN 40

4 Payton Dye, ALA-GN 42

4 Jackson Orr, PRCA 42

6 Blake Pierce, ALA-GN 43

7 Jack Franco, PRCA 47

8 Sevy Ensio, PRCA 48

9 Mason Norman, PRCA 50

9 Joshua Carroll, PRCA 50

11 Lane Deneke, ALA-GN 53

12 Ava Parker, PRCA 56

13 Jackson Dubs, PRCA 62

 

SECTION LEADERS (RANKING)

Section I: Payson (5)

Section II: Yuma Catholic (9)

Section III: Empire (26)

Section IV: Scottsdale Prep (1)

Section V: Northland Prep (14)

Section VI: Valley Christian (2)

Section VII: ALA-Gilbert North (7)

 

AT-LARGE TEAMS (RANKING)

1: AZ College Prep (3)

2: Fountain Hills (4)

3: Phoenix Country Day (6)

4: Basis Phoenix (8)

5: Scottsdale Christian (10)

6: Snowflake (11)

7: Pusch Ridge (12)

8: Tempe Prep (13)