HOUGHTON - Fighting on two fronts proved too much for the Hancock Bulldogs to bear Tuesday.
Hancock won the Jack Sandretto Houghton Invitational at Portage Lake Golf Course, the final WestPAC golf meet of the season, but Calumet won the league title with its second-place finish.
The Copper Kings and Bulldogs won three league meets apiece, but Calumet had three runner-up finishes and Hancock had two after Houghton took second last week in the Calumet Invitational on a fifth-golfer tiebreaker.
Article Photos
Calumet’s Bryce Johnson tees off on No. 3 at Portage Lake Golf Course during Tuesday’s Jack Sandretto Houghton Invitational. Johnson shot an 83 as the Copper Kings finished second in the meet, but won the WestPAC?boys’ golf title. (DMG photo by Brandon Veale)
"It feels great," Calumet junior Reese Lassila said. "Last year, we thought we had a pretty good team, but Hancock was stacked with Dylan (Peterson) and Brett (Hauswirth). Just feels good to be back on top."
Peterson graduated last year, but Hauswirth did just fine Tuesday, earning medalist honors on his home course with an even-par 72, but just like the team competition, there was a blue and gray catch: Lassila and senior Byron Parks shared league MVP honors. The Calumet pair averaged 36.5 shots per nine-hole round with Hauswirth in third with 37.25.
"That's usually going to get you a conference title when you can have those kinds of numbers," Calumet coach Carl Arko said.
Fact Box
BOYS
HANCOCK (306) - Brett Hauswirth 72, Kyle Hauswirth 74, Tanner Kearly 75, Jari Sague 85.
CALUMET (311) - Byron Parks 73, Reese Lassila 73, Aaron elson 82, Bryce Johnson 83.
JEFFERS (318) - Matt Zerbst 75, Alex Outinen 78, Tyler Bailey 80, Stephen Butina 85.
HOUGHTON (325) - Hunter Rajala 75, Seth Kaarto 82, Tony Peltier 83, Tony Stein 85.
L'ANSE (337) - Carter Hendricks 74, Tristan Leaf 78, Raymond Miron 88, Matt Osterman 97.
LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL (384) - Trevor Ongie 92, Cody Kunnari 94, Cole Beauchamp 99, Brett Poissant 99.
CHASSELL (396) - Matt Marshall 92, Dax Durocher 99, Brant Ryynanen 102, Carson Ryynanen 103.
BARAGA (443) - Jon Kaster 96, Bill Mayo 110, Dustin Juntunen 111, Fred Dakota 126.
WEST IRON COUNTY (NTS) - Austin Waara 82, Joe Schmidt 96, Matt Schmidt 145.
GIRLS
HOUGHTON (357) - Noelle Polakowski 86, Bailey Raffaelli 89, Megan Kelly 91, Hannah Hill 91.
CALUMET (394) - Zoe Woodworth 84, Stephanie King 99, Allison Darnell 102, Rachel Darnell 109.
JEFFERS (432) - Shelby Seppanen 99, Brittany Nicholas 106, Alyssa Taavola 108, Lindsay Kin 119.
L'ANSE (481) - Alyssa Norback 104, Breanna Dudo 107, Rebecca Oger 111, Skyleigh Supanich 159.
WEST IRON COUNTY (498) - Olivia Han 110, Mallory Tomasoski 123, Morgan Eagloski 132, Megan Eagloski 133.
BARAGA (539) - Rebecca Larson 109, Terra Fish 139, Gabby Mayo 140, Kelli Massie 151.
LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL (NTS) - Ciara Larson 118, Mandy Perreault 123, Chelsea Koepel 138.
IRONWOOD (NTS) - Korrie Trier 109, Maighlin Kolesar 111.
WestPAC?golf
The Sandretto Houghton Invitational concluded the WestPAC golf season and established this year's All-WestPAC golf team, which is determined by stroke average on their best eight nine-hole rounds (six for girls) per nine holes.
BOYS
Byron Parks, Calumet, 36.5 (Co-Player of the Year, third selection)
Reese Lassila, Calumet, 36.5 (Co-Player of the Year, third selection)
Brett Hauswirth, Hancock, 37.2 (third selection)
Carter Hendricks, L'Anse, 37.6 (fourth selection)
Tristan Leaf, L'Anse, 38.5 (first selection)
Hunter Rajala, Houghton, 38.8 (third selection)
Jari Sague, Hancock, 39.3 (first selection)
Kyle Hauswirth, Hancock, 39.4 (first selection)
Coach of the Year: Carl Arko, Calumet
GIRLS
Zoe Woodworth, Calumet, 39.3 (Four-time Player of the Year)
Megan Kelly, Houghton, 42.3 (second selection)
Kenna Farrey, Houghton, 45.0 (second selection)
Bailey Raffaelli, Houghton, 45.3 (third selection)
Noelle Polakowski, Houghton, 45.8 (second selection)
Hannah Hill, Houghton, 47.2 (third selection)
Stephanie King, Calumet, 49.7 (first selection)
Alyssa Norback, L'Anse, 50.8 (first selection)
Coach of the Year: Corey Markham, Houghton
Still, Hauswirth had much to be proud of in a round that included birdies on 13, 14, 17, 18, 6 and 9.
Kyle Hauswirth and Tanner Kearly were part of a tightly bunched group at the top with 74 and 75, respectively, as Hancock's total of 306 was best by five shots. Eight golfers in the field shot 75 or better.
Jeffers was a solid third at 318, led by a 75 from Matt Zerbst. Alex Outinen added a 78.
Fourth-place Houghton finished with 325, led by Hunter Rajala's 75.
L'Anse landed in fifth despite two rounds in the 70s, a 74 from Carter Hendricks and a 78 from Tristan Leaf.
Lake Linden-Hubbell (384), Chassell (396) and Baraga (443) rounded out the teams.
On the girls' side, the season's overarching theme continued: Houghton dominating the team standings and Calumet's Zoe Woodworth collecting the medals.
The Gremlins had five of the six best cards of the day but not No. 1, as Woodworth made it a clean sweep of all eight prep meets she's played at PLGC by shooting an 84.
This round was a little less spectacular than last week's Hancock Invitational (in which she eagled No. 7) due to putting problems, but the senior was happier with her driving and grinded her way around the course with eight pars.
"I was set up in good position, so I could get to the holes," she said.
By virtue of her scoring average of 39.3 per nine holes, Woodworth was named WestPAC MVP for the fourth consecutive year.
Noelle Polakowski made a solid bid to knock Woodworth off, posting an 86. Bailey Raffaelli carded an 89, while Megan Kelly and Hannah Hill shot 91s. Houghton dropped Kenna Farrey's 94.
Calumet's team finished 37 shots behind the hosts with a 394 as Stephanie King (99) was one of only two golfers other than the Gremlins or her teammate to break 100.
The other was Shelby Seppanen of Jeffers, whose 99 led the third-place Jets to a 432 and third place.
L'Anse (481), West Iron County (498) and Baraga (539) rounded out the team scores.