Mustangs finish second at own tournament

The Mustangs were second in their own Fall Classic Dec. 6-7 thanks to shooting a 670.

The Mustangs were in second place after the first round by shooting a 323 in the first round at Hidden Falls Country Club in Meadowlakes.

At Ramrock, they shot a 347.

“Ramrock played really tough,” head coach Lonnie Tackitt said. “It always does, according to Ramrock’s reputation. We scored quite a bit higher but held our position. But it was our first time to have a top-three finish this year.”

Leading Marble Falls was sophomore Logan Clark by posting a 156, which was good enough to tie for second. 

“He had solid rounds both days,” Tackitt said. “He was the low man in district as a freshman. It’s nice to have him back. He has the ability to score and battle. He’s a big asset for our team.”

Nick Steffek tied for 14th with a 172, while Ben Causgrove scored a 175 to tie for 20th. Ethan Turner shot a 179 for 25th, while Tony DaPaoli finished 42nd by shooting a 183.

“Ethan played real well over 12 holes,” Tackitt said. “To improve from Hidden Falls to Ramrock is better. Nick improved by 12 strokes. He played well.”

The Marble Falls second team also played well, the coach said.

Austin Beniston tied for 17th thanks to a score of 86-88–174. 

“That’s a tremendous score for a freshman at a varsity tournament,” Tackitt said. “To break 90 at Ramrock, you’re playing good golf. He shot our third lowest. He did a great job.”

Austin Cartwright tied for 47th by shooting a 187. Chad Chesnut scored a 193 for 52nd and Bradlee Dunlevy finished with a 216 for 62nd place.

Alamo Heights won the event by shooting a 646 thanks to scoring a 313 in the first round.

“At Ramrock, we knew the scores were really going to go up five to 10 strokes higher,” Tackitt said. 

Weather played a factor Dec. 5. It was cold and windy, which made the greens firm and caused balls to bounce away from holes. 

“On (Dec. 7), it was just gorgeous,” Tackitt said. “Low winds held enough to try to hit the target.”

The Mustangs are finished with their fall schedule and will play again in late January. Now they go into their preseason workouts. 

Tackitt said to end with a second-place finish and outscore District 25-4A foes Lake Travis and Pflugerville Hendrickson will help.

“It was nice,” he said. “We defeated them pretty soundly. Those will be the ones we’re competing against in district.”