Othello golf

Othello played selfish golf at the 2A boys and girls state golf tournament.

The boys team took the team state title, Bart Patitucci captured the individual state title and the team won the academic state title. The girls team also won the state title and Kimberly Schutte won the individual title.

"I really felt going into that, if we had our A game, it would take a good team to beat us," Wayne Schutte, the boys head coach said.

For the boys team, it was all Othello. As a team, the Huskies finished with 40.5 team points, Ridgefield finished second with 23, Chewelah had 20 and Riverside finished fourth with 6 team points.

Patitucci (71-71-142) needed the first playoff hole to beat out Deer Park's Andy Weil for the individual state title at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco. It was his second state title in as many years.

"I knew I could play good golf on that course and I read this mental book that helped me review stuff," Patitucci said.

Schutte said his state champion golfer focused on music to keep his mind relaxed during the second day and Patitucci said, "that helped me keep calm."

Eric Brault (76-75-151) finished tied for seventh for the Huskies. In other scores, Drew Ferguson (78-76-154) of Quincy finished tied for 11th.

On the girls side, Kimberly Schutte (76-73-149) led Othello to its second straight team title and her first individual title at Sun Willows Golf Course. She finished second last year, losing the lead on the second day.

This year, Schutte made sure she didn't lose after taking a first day lead.

"The first day this year and last year, I had the same focus, but then I lost it on the second day last year," she said.

Schutte finished 10 strokes ahead of the second-place finisher Jill Quinn (80-79-159) of Nooksack Valley. Erin Hafer (93-88-181) finished the day tied for 13th and scored enough team points to hand Othello its second team title. Ephrata's LaSheana Adams (86-93-179) finished tied for fifth with four other golfers.

The Huskies finished with 37.5 team points, followed by Nooksack Valley (31), Pullman (28), Mount Baker (15) and South Whidbey (12.5).

"Last year we had three people and they were focused to win the team title," Othello girls coach Dawn Weyns said. "Their focus this year wasn't just on the team title."

Joe Perkins finishes fifth

Joe Perkins (73-72-145) shot an even round two-day tournament at the 1A boys state championship and he wasn't happy.

After scoring a total of 10 bogeys in the two rounds, he felt he could have been in the pack for the individual state title at Columbia Point Golf Course.

"If I wouldn't have had as many bogey's, I would have been right there," Perkins said.

Warden's Marc Yamamoto (71-78-149) tied for 12th. He started the day three strokes off the first day leader Jon McPherson (68-78-146) of Lind-Ritzville. Andrew Putnam (72-68-140) was the individual state champion from Life Christian.

Perkins said he couldn't find that consistent rhythm on the greens, hitting 14-of-18 fairways and greens, but couldn't finish out the holes.

"I was off and on," he said. "I would get a birdie and then screw it up with a bogey."

The fifth-place finish left him ahead of his older brother Elijah Perkins, who finished 11th his freshman year of high school. The finish, only five strokes off the leader, left him hungry for next year.

"I can do better, I know I can do better," Perkins said. "I wish there was one more day because I know I can close in on those guys."