Arcata

Six golfers within 10 strokes at the top of the league standings

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Parity is alive and well in H-DNL boys golf.

Halfway through the 2026 league campaign, just 10 strokes separate the top six golfers in the season standings, with five different schools represented among those six.

The H-DNL boys travel to Baywood Golf & Country Club on Monday for round three of league action and once again it was another tight race for both the individual and team wins.

St. Bernard’s Breadon Simpson and Arcata’s Matisse Stuan tied for the low score of the day with identical rounds of 78, with the latter’s teammate, Ryzen Miller, just one stroke back after shooting a 79.

Through three rounds of league play Miller and Stuan are tied for the lead in the season standings (157), with Simpson now just four strokes back (161).

Fortuna’s Lucas Butler, who posted the low score of the day in the second round of league play at Beau Pre last week, sits fourth just one stroke further back, followed by McKinleyville’s Jared Brunner (165) and Eureka’s Kaden Goodman (167).

On Monday, Butler shot an 81 for the second straight week and placed fourth on the day, followed by Goodman and St. Bernard’s Carson Johnson, who each carded an 82.

McKinleyville’s Morgan Zhao (83), St. Bernard’s Julius Rojo (84), Eureka’s Cole Nelson (87) and Arcata’s Chase Andrews (88) and McKinleyville’s Luke Jones (88) rounded out the top 10 scores on the day.

The race for this year’s team championship has been just as exciting through the first half of league competition.

Arcata edged McKinleyville for a three-stroke victory in the opening round, but the Panthers responded with a six-stroke win on their home course in round two last week.

With Stuan and Miller leading the way, however, the Tigers bounced back this week, with a team score of 339 giving them a four-stroke victory at Baywood, with St. Bernard’s (343) in second and McKinleyville (349) in third. 

With their two victories, the Tigers hold a slender seven-stroke lead over the Panthers at the top of the season standings.

At Beau Pre last week, Butler’s 81 paced the field, followed by Miller (83) and Brunner (84).

Andrews (85) and Fortuna’s Cooper McWhorter (86) and McKinleyville’s Orion Smelnser (86) rounded out the top five scores on the day.

Lucas Butler posted the low score of the day at Beau Pre last week.

St. Bernard’s Breadon Simpson (left) and Arcata’s Brenden Mosher.

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