Game on the green gets exciting start

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The Steele Canyon Cougars and Valhalla Norsemen are the top high school golf teams in the East County so far in 2018. 

While the Norsemen boast last year’s section player of the year in Arizona State-commit Cameron Sisk, it was Steele Canyon that captured the first showdown between the two teams that will decide the Grossmont Hills League championship. 

The Steele Canyon Cougars and Valhalla Norsemen are the top high school golf teams in the East County so far in 2018. 

While the Norsemen boast last year’s section player of the year in Arizona State-commit Cameron Sisk, it was Steele Canyon that captured the first showdown between the two teams that will decide the Grossmont Hills League championship. 

The Cougars beat Valhalla by 19 strokes to open the Grossmont Hills League campaign last month. 

Sisk, a senior, shot a 33 off the blue tees over the Oak course at Sycuan, while senior Parker Sisk, carded a 34. Senior Tommy Jernigan was one-shot back with a 35 as the Norsemen had the lower scores up top. 

But Steele Canyon, who lost a top player before the season on a transfer, had the depth to prevail against a slightly short-handed Valhalla squad. The Cougars’ Evan Caldwell, a senior, shot a 35 and teammate Shea Lague finished with a 36, but it was another pair of Steele Canyon scorers that stepped up to put up numbers below their average. Sophomore Kyle Lague had a 40, while junior Antonio Martinez made a 43 to beat their Norse counterparts. 

Granite Hills is rated third in the Hills behind sophomores Trevor Finch and Michael McClure. West Hills is the top team in the Grossmont Valley League with an undefeated league start through the first round. Wolf Pack junior Derek Adkins fired a season-low 39 over Sycuan’s Oak course in a 215-230 nonleague win over Grossmont. West Hills sophomore Austin Wessels fired a three-over 38 over the front-nine at Mission Trails off the blue tees in a close 212-220 win over Helix in the league match of the season-to-date. 

Santana junior Joseph Morgan earned medalist honors with a 39 over the Carlton Oaks front-nine white tees, although the Sultans lost to the Pack, who were led by junior Janidu Goonatilaka’s 42. Helix junior Jackson Montgomery was co-medalist with a 39 over the blue tees at Mission Trails as Helix defeated Patrick Henry, 215-228, on Monday. Jackson fired a 1-over 36 in the loss to West Hills.