Bison boys get better of last two Class B champs

McCook senior Mason Michaelis sends a tee shot down the fairway Friday while helping McCook win the Coleman Invitational team title. Below, junior teammate Matthew Nichols and Gabe Seller from Decatur Community, Kan., watch the fate of this putt. Nichols won the Medicine Valley title on Monday at Arrowhead Golf Course. More details are appearing today at mccookgazette.com.

McCOOK, Neb. —Hey, Nebraska, McCook Bison are back and showing they can outgolf Class B’s best programs.

The Bison punctuated this point brilliantly on Friday against Class B reigning state champ North Platte (2019) and 2018 winner York.

Not only did they score a three-stroke win over those big bad Bulldogs, the Bison matched every York shot and then topped those Dukes in their Ron Coleman Invite championship playoff.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

“The Bison golfers showed a lot of mental toughness when competing in the sudden-death playoff,” coach Joe Vetrovsky confirmed.

Senior Payton Craw already had an individual championship with is 79 which bested top contender Caleb Castillo from Ogallala (81).

Yet he still had enough magic left for the playoff where Craw, seniors Brady Esch (83), Mason Michaelis (92), junior Hunter Hansen (87) and sophomore Eli Kehler (96) teamed to win that Coleman team title.

Both Craw and Esch outgolfed top York Dukes player Emmanuel Jensen, who finished one shot behind Esch at 84.

Kasch Morrison delivered North Platte’s best performance with an 83 but was only good enough to edge Esch for third place overall.

Nobody could match Craw’s performance.

“Peyton played very well today and it was great to see him win the Ron Coleman Invitational,” Vetrovsky confirmed about the annual event to honor McCook’s late great golf coach. “Brady was very solid today and his chipping was on point.”

“If it wasn’t for a few missed putts throughout his round, his score would have been even lower,” J.V. concluded.

In other words, the Bison are still aiming for steady improvement as calendars soon flip to that all-important month of May.

McCook’s already playing its final April tournament today at the Holdrege Invitational.

Southwest Conference tournament action will soon follow and all those rivals were looking up at the Bison on Friday.

Decatur Community (Kan.) was part of this 12-team tournament where McCook Community College recruit Spencer Wishon placed eighth overall.

Wishon carded an 85 so he was only two strokes from tying for a top three place.

Golfers enjoyed much better weather since the Coleman Invite was postponed three days earlier due to rain and snow.

Senior Gavon Uehlin fired Decatur’s second best score of 101 while Reece Grafel totaled 103.

Teams: 1. McCook Red 343, 2. York 343, 3. North Platte 346, 4. Gothenurg 352, 5. Ogallala 361, 6. Minden 372, 7. Broken Bow 380, 8. Holdrege 393, 9. Cozad 398, 10. Decatur Community (Kan.) 420, 11. McCook White 422, 12. Lexington 423.

Top 10 medalists: 1. Payton Craw, MC, 79; 2. Caleb Castillo, OGA, 81; 3. Kasch Morrison, NP, 83; 4. Brady Esch, MC, 83; 5. Jake Scherer, GOTH, 83; 6. Emmanuel Jensen, York, 84; 7. Andrew Sahling, York, 85; 8. Spencer Wishon, Decatur (Kan.), 85; 9. Austin Harvey, Bow, 86; 10. Blake Barner, NP, 86.

McCook’s White team featured a 96 from Jonas Sommervillle and Ian Brown firing 99. Matthew Nichols (102), Jacob Risenhoover (125) and Jackson Dellevoet (130) completed the Bison White team total.