Falcon nearly cracks top 10 at state golf

Hitchcock County junior Darian Hutto rolls in an impressive putt while going down the homestretch of Wednesday’s Class D state golf tournament at Lake Maloney Golf Course south of North Platte.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Hitchcock County’s golfers finished a great season with junior Darian Hutto placing 11th overall at the Class D state tournament on Wednesday.

Hutto rolled a solid round of 85 through breezy and still chilly conditions as temperatures barely hit 60 degrees.

He was 11th among 95 golfers playing the Lake Maloney Course.

Hutto nearly cracked the top 10, but 14 on his final three holes left him one stroke behind Burwell senior Jordan McBride and freshman Teegan Sonneman from North Platte St. Patrick’s.

Sonneman — who shot 40 on the back nine after 44 through those first nine — and McBridge both fired 84s to share ninth place overall.

The effort still capped Hitchcock’s strong season where all five varsity golfers competed at state.

They placed 13th overall with a total score of 415 which topped other team qualifiers Bertrand (429) and Exeter-Milligan (436).

West Holt won a fantastic battle for its repeate Class D team titles. The Huskies’ 355 edged St. Patrick’s 356.

Jeremy McMillan-Peters of Paxton won the individual Class D title, scoring 75 to edge defending champ Ryan Weiss from Franklin’s 77.

Besides Hutto, Southwest senior Dylan Hoffman fired the area’s best score as his 90 (45-45) tied for 21st place overall.

Sophomore Cord Frink represented the Arapahoe Warriors and finished 43rd (48-48-96).

Other Falcon scores: junior Remington Hodges (100), Gage Petersen (113), James O’Byrne (117) and Trevor Kefelas (127).