La Cueva boys golf surges late to capture metro crown

With the state tournament only 11 days away, this was just the warm-up the La Cueva Bears wanted.

With four players — none of them seniors — shooting rounds in the 70s, the Bears on Thursday won the Albuquerque Metro Championship at Los Altos Golf Course, overcoming Albuquerque Academy on the back nine to win by three shots.

Academy’s girls won metros on Monday at Arroyo del Oso Golf Course.

Led by freshman Nixon Knee, whose 1-under par round of 71 gave him medalist honors, La Cueva shot a team score of 304, or 16-over par.

The Bears were trailing Academy for a large stretch of the round Thursday, but eventually made up the deficit over the closing holes as the Chargers shot 307.

La Cueva’s putters were hot in the final several holes, which may have put the Bears over the top.

“I think they were all solid. It was a grind today,” La Cueva coach Eric Orell said. “There’s still some left in the tank for all of us, strokes here and there we need to clean up.”

After the District 2-5A tournament in Santa Fe next week, the Bears officially turn their focus to state, which is May 11-12 at New Mexico State University Golf Course in Las Cruces. La Cueva lost in a playoff to Volcano Vista last year at San Juan Country Club in Farmington.

Their consistency served the Bears well Thursday.

Knee had four birdies, a bogey and a double bogey in his round; the entire field was challenged by bumpy greens at Los Altos.

“I played decent. I feel like there are things I left out there, but overall, I battled nicely,” said Knee, who drained a long par putt at the 18th to close his round.

“I feel like this is just a stepping stone to state. If I just continue to practice and work hard and put shots together, and not worry about the overall score, (I’ll) be alright.”

The runner-up, senior Josh James of Academy, made four birdies and an eagle in his 1-over round of 73, but he never quite overcame what happened to him on his first hole, the par-4 18th, where he took quadruple bogey.

Volcano Vista senior Isaac Cota, Academy sophomore Russel Hiller and Chargers sophomore Thomas Whitten, tied for third with 75s. Sophomore A.J. Kozlowski of La Cueva finished solo sixth after shooting a 76.

Kozlowski was 1-under over his final eight holes after a tough front nine.

Also for La Cueva, sophomore Ian Pierce tied for ninth (78), and junior Brett Wall (79) tied for 16th.

“The whole team played consistent,” Kozlowski said.

Knee said last year’s loss at state, in a way, served La Cueva well on Thursday.

“I think after what happened to us at state last year, our team battles through adversity pretty well,” he said. “Just for us to lock in and finish strong and execute shots and not worry about everything, (helped) us to come back.”

Volcano Vista and Rio Rancho (318) tied for third, with Cibola (321) fifth.