Hope Frost is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Chandler High School for AZPreps365.com.

Crismon’s Brayden Neal carded a 1-under-par 34 to finish as the medalist and lead the Rattlers to a 160 in Monday’s tri-match at Apache Creek Golf Club. Crismon outpaced Apache Junction (189) and Chandler (192).

Senior Mark Salem paced the Wolves with an 11-over-par 46, highlighted by a birdie on the sixth hole that came after a string of higher scores, a moment he said reflected the consistency he’s been working toward.

“I’m trying to have better misses,” Salem said. “Not the best shot in the world, but avoiding the worst shot.”

Sophomore Brenden Ziegmann followed with a 12-over-par 47, while freshman Garrett Hummell added a season-best 14-over-par 49 that included his second career birdie. Senior Ryan Jones and junior Rex Salem each carded 15-over-par 50s.

Chandler coach Nick Sessions said he was encouraged by the team’s ability to rebound after a slow start, especially with little practice time following fall break. 

“You just take what you got out there — that’s golf,” he said. “We started off rough but battled back. It wasn’t our worst match of the year, and we stayed under 200, which is about our average.”

For Chandler, that perspective matched what the players said they value most about the sport: the fun and camaraderie. 

Rex Salem said sharing the course with his brother Mark is one of the best parts of the season.

“I love having him on the team. Keeps the morale high,” Rex said. “He always messes with me; it keeps the vibes up.”

Mark admitted the competitiveness runs deep, but he said it also keeps things fun. 

“He likes to cheat in practice, but it’s OK,” Mark said with a laugh. “Like the first couple of days we played together, he said he got these crazy scores that I know he didn’t get. But it’s all good.”

Hummell’s performance gave the Wolves another bright spot. The freshman broke 50 for the first time, a milestone his coach called the best round of his season. 

“Garrett had his best score of the year, and he even had a birdie — only his second this season,” Sessions said.

Ziegmann continues to juggle golf with baseball, his primary sport. He said the unfamiliarity of Apache Creek made for a difficult round. 

“There were a lot of doglegs left and right, not a lot of straight holes, and that was kind of hard to adjust to,” he said. 

His focus now is on sharpening his short game. 

“From 100 yards and in, that’s where it’s crucial,” Ziegmann said. “You’ve got to lock that down, or else you’re going to lose a lot of strokes.”

What carried through most was the lighthearted approach—from brothers ribbing each other to players talking about challenges as part of the fun, Chandler found positives that went beyond the scorecard. They’ll look to carry that perspective into the upcoming CUSD Boys Gold Tournament on Oct. 23–24.

Even on a day when the scores weren’t low, the Wolves found reminders of why they play.

Mark Salem said it best. ‘I think everyone likes golf,’ he said. ‘They just find it at different times. [We] happened to find it early.”