High School golf: Stevenson captures 16th straight league title with a 39-stroke win
MONTEREY — When this historic run of supremacy began on the golf links, Dylan Hirst hadn’t been born yet.
For that matter, the rest of the members of the Stevenson School squad were still toddlers.
The defending state golf champions, built around a lineup with no seniors, are creating their own legacy.
“We’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves,” said Hirst, a 15-year-old freshman. “One match at a time. I wouldn’t say there is a lot of pressure. We just have to play our own game and see what happens.”
On Tuesday, Hirst earned medalist honors, carding a 3-under 68 to help propel his team to a 39-stroke win at the Pacific Coast Athletic League golf championships at Laguna Seca Golf Course.
The triumph was Stevenson’s 16th consecutive league title, the longest current streak of any sports program in the PCAL, and the second-longest title run since Palma won 18 straight football titles from 1984-2001.
“We have put up some good results this year,” Hirst said. “What I was looking for today was mainly control the controlables. Focus on hitting the greens and executing my shots. Play my part.”
Four members of the Pirates’ Fab Five finished at par or under, combining for a 6-under score of 350, with Palma finishing second with a 389 team result.
“We always say Laguna is our second favorite course,” said Hirst, whose Pirates home course is Spyglass Hill. “We have learned to love it.”
In part, because the next two rounds will be at Laguna Seca with the Central Coast Section Regionals slated for next Tuesday, and the finals on May 11.
“It’s a huge advantage,” said Calvin Etcheverry, a member of last year’s state title team as a sophomore. “We know the course very well and know what to do on every hole. We don’t have to worry about the unknown factor. Just get the job done.”
Etcheverry, who was 4-under through 12 holes, fired a 2-under 69 for Stevenson, the second lowest score of the match, with William Keszler carding a 1-under 70, Ethan Merrick an even par 71, and Zachary Hawkins a 1-over 72.
The only individual to break up Stevenson’s first five scores was Nick Cardinalli of Monterey, who finished 1-under to earn medalist honors out of the Mission Division.
“I wanted to build some momentum and confidence for the weeks coming up,” Etcheverry said. “Be dialed in and make sure you get the job done. A few shots got away from me. The winds were a factor. But it’s more thought than physical. I had a solid round.”
Hirst, the only freshman among a core of juniors on the Pirates squad, got off to a strong start with two birdies on his first nine holes, settling into a zone, building momentum for next week’s CCS Regionals.
“I played better than my score,” Hirst said. “I hit the ball well. I putted really well. Nothing really dropped. Throughout the day, I had a good performance.”
While comparisons to last year’s state title team have been downplayed, what’s been evident throughout the season, which included a Top 3 finish at a nationwide event, is that the Pirates have been a better all-around team from a scoring standpoint.
“We’re a young team,” said Etcheverry, one of two players who took part in last year’s state title run along with Hawkins. “Last year, we had a lot of experience. We knew we’d show up. If we stay composed and remember who we are, we have a shot.”
Cardinalli was the only individual from the Mission Division to lock up a spot in the CCS Regionals, with arguably his best round of the season over 18 holes.
“This is my fourth year,” Cardinalli said. “I feel like a vet. I just played my own game. Nothing changed. I knew I had to be in the 70s. I wasn’t trying to think about it. Just play my game and go as low as I can.”
Cardinalli’s effort helped Monterey finish third as a team in the Mission Division, behind champion Hollister and runner-up Pacific Grove, which hopes James Lowen’s score of 76 sneaks him into the CCS Regionals.
“Playing here a week before the regional is huge,” Cardinalli said. “Anything can happen in one round. But if we did this 100 times, having the advantage would benefit me 70 of those 100. Hopefully next week is one of those 70s.”
Julien Cho didn’t have the round he expected for Carmel, firing a 3-over 74. Yet, it should be enough to extend his season and keep his hopes of returning to the state championships alive.
“It was a little frustrating because I didn’t play so great,” Cho said. “I had been playing well lately. I lost my mind a little bit throughout the round. But I believe I did enough to advance.”
A returning all-leaguer, Cho still produced the second-best individual score not affiliated with Stevenson, who along with Palma’s Jacob Ruiz, each carded a 74.
“It wasn’t my best work out there,” said Cho, who was third at the Northern California finals last year. “Knowing I can still make it without playing my best is a good feeling. It’s a huge advantage to come back here next week with a round under my belt.”
Trinity won the Cypress Division title, as Eric Li shot a 74, with teammate Naomi Raymundo finishing with 78. Tyson Ousbye shot an 83 for runner-up Rancho San Juan.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 9:59 PM.