A huge Trans-Valley League win over Hughson this week, sandwiched by two wins over Modesto Christian allowed the Escalon boys golf team to remain undefeated this season in dual match play. With the three victories, the Cougar linksters moved to 11-0 in league play and 17-0 overall.

“The guys really took care of business this week,” Coach Rusty Fachner commented. “We played good solid golf and did what we had to do to move closer to the title.”

On Tuesday and Thursday, April 17 and 19, the Cougars managed to score convincing wins from an over-matched Crusader squad.

“We didn’t play as well as I would have liked on Tuesday, but Thursday we were pretty convincing,” noted Fachner. “Danny Bava, Nolan Rockwell, and Nathan Sarkozy continued to set the pace for us as they have all year long. Those three have shown great consistency and have really led the charge. They’ve been terrific.”

On Tuesday at Oakdale, Rockwell paced Escalon with a 40, while Sarkozy posted a 44. Bava came in at 45, and Steven Gately added a 49. Nic Lattig’s 50 and Matt Spurgeon’s 52 completed the scoring. On Thursday, it was Bava who led the way at Modesto Muni with a 44, with Jimmy Wentzell making a solid showing with a 46. Sarkozy and Gately had identical 47’s and Lattig finished with a 48. Blake Kissee finished the day for the Cougars by posting a 59.

The big match of the week was Wednesday at Oakdale Golf and Country Club when Escalon took on a Hughson squad looking for an upset and a little revenge over the previous week’s loss to the Cougars. Instead, the Purple and Gold posted a 22-stroke victory over the Huskies, defeating them 229-251.

Fachner was extremely pleased with the victory and the effort his team put forth.

“I was really proud of the guys and the effort they gave in a tough match. Hughson had blood in their eye and really wanted a piece of us,” the coach explained. “However, we stepped up in a big way with everyone on the team shooting in the 40’s. That is the type of consistency from this team that has allowed us to be undefeated.”

Rockwell took scoring honors on the day with a 41, besting Sarkozy’s 45 by four strokes. Bava and Lattig followed with 47’s, and Gately and Spurgeon were right behind them at 49. The loss was Hughson’s third in the TVL and put the Cougars in excellent shape heading into Escalon’s final week of play. The Cougars will play in the Bulldog Invitational at Tracy Country Club before taking on Mountain House at home. They will then finish the season with the League Championship Tournament at Micke Grove Golf Course on Tuesday, May 1.