Veteran El Mo squad battling for upper echelon
When it comes to success on the golf course, experience is everything. The El Molino boys squad has that valuable commodity in droves this season as it continues to pile up wins on the Sonoma County League circuit.
Led by veteran coaches Bill Olzman, John Thomas and Nick Stoll, the Lions are out to a 2-1 start in league matches, most recently bouncing back from a loss at Petaluma on April 3 with a convincing win over visiting Piner two days later.
El Mo played host to four other schools in a Coastal Mountain Tournament on their home 18-hole, par 72 Northwood Golf Club course on April 4, easily besting the field in the team competition by over 100 strokes.
The Lions are loaded with multi-year talent, led by senior third-year veteran Ryan Pamatmat. An all-league soccer player, Pamatmat has had the team’s lowest scoring average for the past two seasons and has designs on a third straight trip to the NCS Qualifying Tournament in May.
Other key returnees for El Mo are third-year senior Kristian Walker, who also excels on the soccer and cross-country teams, third-year junior Grant Phy, who splits time playing varsity basketball and part of the brass section in the school band and third-year juniors Cassius Phillips and Aidan Angus-Henry, also a member of the El Molino band.
The list of first-year players features sophomore Kaiden Kliegl, the lowest scoring newcomer, and freshmen twin brothers Trevor and Trenton Rivas, who both excelled on the frosh basketball team.
Bolstering the roster are first-year freshmen Noah Kenny, Jackson Gerren, Evan Jacobs and Cayden Schneider.
The emergence of the Lions as a league contender is no surprise, given the talent and experience the team has this year.
“Rain and spring break have slowed team progress, but we’re hoping for a full month of competition in April that will have everyone ready for the SCL tournament on April 30,” Thomas reported. “El Molino, Analy, and Healdsburg are all playing for second place while Petaluma is easily the best team in the league again this year.”
Recent results:
Petaluma 219, El Molino 257 (April 3 at Rooster Run, par 36)
El Molino scoring – Ryan Pamatmat 44, Kristian Walker 51, Grant Phy 52, Kaiden Kliegl 52, Trevor Rivas 58, Trenton Rivas 61.
Coastal Mountain Tournament (April 4 at Northwood Golf Club, par 72)
Team scoring – El Molino 349, Willits 452, Clear Lake 460, Pt. Arena 467, Ft. Bragg 468
El Mo individual scoring – Ryan Pamatmat 79, Grant Phy 87, Kristian Walker 89, Kaiden Kliegl 95, Cassius Phillips 100, Trevor Rivas 107.
El Molino 227, Piner 245 (April 5 at Northwood GC, par 36)
El Molino scoring – Ryan Pamatmat 40, Cassius Phillips 45, Kaiden Kliegl 46, Kristian Walker 47, Grant Phy 49, Trenton Rivas 56
SCL record – 2-1, 5-4 overall
