Ponies shoot good scores in first trip to Fort Custer course

The Havre High golf teams were up against almost the entire Eastern A for the first time this season when they traveled to Hardin for the Hardin Invitational. And the Blue Ponies came away with strong finishes in their first-ever visit to the Fort Custer Golf Club.

Friday in Hardin, the HHS boys took fourth place among nine Eastern A teams, while the girls took fifth overall.

"It was a fun tournament," HHS head coach George Ferguson said. "It was our first time ever playing that course. So I thought they kids did well. It was very tough competition, but that was goof for us. So I was pleased with the rounds and I think we know exactly where we stand right now and what we need to work on."

The HHS boys finished just behind Livingston for third, while Laurel and Billings Central took the top two places, respectively.

Individually, the Ponies were led by Theron Peterson's 79, which tied him for seventh place overall. Caleb Spangler shot 86, while Kale Reno finished at 89. Freshman Matt Huse shot 94, while Reid Kato rounded out the scoring with a 102.

"Theron had a really good round, and overall, all of our boys had a side where they felt like they played pretty well," Ferguson said. "Now, we just have to get more consistent. Our boys are all capable of putting some really good scores on the board, they just have to get a little more consistent, and I think they will."

On the girls side, the Ponies finished in fifth place, but, individually, they improved their scores from just one week earlier. Senior Katharine Greenwood led the way with a 106 for the Pony girls, while Shea Reber shot 107. Callie Bebee also fired a 115, while Sylvie McKeon-Hanson and Cali Pyrak rounded out the scoring for HHS.

"I'm really proud of the progress our girls team is making," Ferguson said. "They are improving quickly now. They did a good job in Hardin, and I think we're going to see their scores just get better and better."

Quickly is also how the rest of the season is going to go for the Ponies. This week, they visit Glendive and Sidney, followed by trips to Billings and Laurel next week, and then, the postseason will already be upon them.

"Time is ticking away on our season now," Ferguson said. "We've got four really big tournaments in the next two weeks, and then divisional will already be here. So these next couple weeks are huge for us."