Two biggest Rockford high school golf stars rise to challenge at regionals

Posted by Admin October 3, 2024 Golf

Rockford Lutheran senior Jake Guse won the conference golf title as a sophomore. He won sectionals as a sophomore and junior. He finished fourth and seventh at state those two years, also.

The one notable hole — besides a state title — on his golfing resume should, in theory, have been the easiest of those titles to win. Well, Guse finally has a regional title, shooting 73 Wednesday at Galena Golf Club to beat Rockford Chriustian’s Luke Frazier by two strokes for the Class 1A Galena Regional title and also lead Lutheran to the team title.

“It meant a lot to me,” Guse said. “I have won about everything else except state now. To complete all of it is pretty cool.”

Guse had no bogeys on the day. He was 2-under-par until his one bad hole, a triple-bogey 8 on No. 15.

More: Sisters power new NIC-10 golf champs, Lutheran sweeps Big Northern titles; NUIC results

“It’s not that hard of a hole but the pin spot — I had a four-putt — it was just a brutal pin spot,” Guse said. “I think our whole team got 7s and 6s on it. Even on No. 18, there were guys getting 10s and 11s on it. There were two really bad pin spots today.”

It was the third regional title in a row for Lutheran, which is undefeated this year. The Crusaders have a senior-laden lineup featuring Guse, two-time Big Northern champion Joey Luna, Nathan Ling and Luke Carlson.

“It’s pretty fun to win another one, especially with Jake and Joey and Luke and Nathan,” Lutheran coach Kevin Flack said. “It’s cool for them to win another regional championship. And for Jake to win his first (individually).”

Guse, Luna (third with a 77), Ling (eighth with an 82), Carlson (ninth at 83) and junior Gabe Harezlak (tied for 10th with an 84) all finished in the top 10 for Lutheran. Harezlak, as the fifth-best score, didn’t even count in the team scoring for a team that finished fourth in state last year and has aspirations of winning its first state title.

“It’s nice that we have six good players,” Flack said. “We don’t rely on just our top four.”

Lutheran shot 315 to win regionals by 14 strokes. Rockford Christian (329) and River Ridge (339) also advanced, with Forreston (349) missing by 10 strokes. Forreston junior Kaden Brown and Rockford Christian junior Gavin Hultman (79) tied for fourth as individuals.

Lutheran now moves on to sectionals Monday at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See, a course known for tricky, dangerous putts. But also a course many of the Crusaders call home.

“We’ll be ready there,” Guse said.

More: Boylan regains NIC-10 boys golf team with a young team that will get even better

Class 1A: Eastland Regional

Eastland shot 356 at its home course at Lake Carroll to finish fifth and miss qualifying for sectionals by 17 strokes. Eastland’s Brixen Dale (18th with an 86) was the top Rockford-area finisher in a regional dominated by Port Byron Riverdale (305) and Fulton (314).

Class 2A: Freeport Regional

Two-time NIC-10 champion Cole Beto had one of the most dominant rounds in area regional golf history, shooting 72 at Park Hills West to win the individual title by 11 strokes over Belvidere North senior Ben Leake. That helped Boylan win its fourth straight regional title — and eighth under coach John Canova since 2011 — by a dozen strokes over North.

Boylan (334), Belvidere North (346) and Freeport (352) all advance to Monday’s sectional at Hughes Creek in Maple Park.

Class 2A: Sterling Regional

Big Northern runner-up Byron advanced to Monday’s sectional at Hughes Creek in Maple Park by finishing a close second to BNC rival Dixon at Emerald Hill. Dixon shot 336 to Byron’s 338. Geneseo shot 343 to take third and also advance.

Byron senior Cooper Mershon finished second individually with a 75, two strokes behind Dixon’s Ben Oros. Rochelle junior Ian Metzger (76) was the only other golfer to break 80.

Class 3A: Harlem Regional

NIC-10 runner-up Hononegah edged Guilford and Harlem to finish second at Atwood and advance out of a tightly bunched regional. McHenry shot 329 to finish first and a fifth-man tie-breaker put Hononegah ahead of Woodstock North after both shot 335. Guilford (338) missed advancing to Monday’s Algonquin Jacobs Sectional at Randall Oaks by three strokes, while Harlem (341) was six strokes behind the second-place tie.

Hononegah sophomore Rory Ruper (tied for third with an 80), Guilford’s Adonis Hilton and East’s Nicholas Wilson (tied for sixth at 82), Harlem’s Koletyn Zanoni (tied for 8th with an 83) and Guilford’s Parker Karvelius, Harlem’s Jake Elliott and Hononegah’s Logan Duhigg (tied for 10th at 84) were the top local individuals.

Matt Trowbridge is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at mtrowbridge@rrstar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @MattTrowbridge.