Despite losing two of its state qualifiers to graduation, the Montgomery County golf team still found a way to turn in a successful regular season this spring.

The Wildcats won 25 matches in dual-match play and, to top it off, captured their eighth Eastern Missouri Conference championship. MCHS won the EMO tournament on April 28 at Innsbrook Golf Course, making it the program’s first conference crown in Cody Hasekamp’s three-year tenure as head coach.

“I felt really good about how the regular season went,” Hasekamp said.

Now, Hasekamp is hoping for his team to turn in a strong postseason, which starts on May 12 at the Class 2, District 2 tournament at Norwoods Golf Club in Hannibal. The Wildcats are looking to have some state qualifiers for the fifth year in a row.

“The kids want to get better,” Hasekamp said. “They want to do well and it’s exciting. They’re staring districts in the eye.”

MCHS will play in an 18-team district that includes Palmyra and Hermann that finished in the top four in last year’s Class 2 tournament. Hasekamp said his team will be competing in the toughest district in Class 2.

“I think we can go up to districts and have some success and see the ball roll our way and we can get four qualified out,” the MCHS coach said. “We can have a day where it’s not going our way and maybe nobody qualifies out. I’m very hopeful for some good weather and the ball rolls well.”

The Wildcats finished fifth in last year’s district tournament and qualified Maddox James and Robby Rodgers to state.

Juniors Karter Reagan and Wyatt March are the only MCHS golfers from this year’s roster who competed in last year’s districts.

Reagan and March helped the Wildcats get back on top in the EMO at the conference tournament after a two-year hiatus. They joined senior Andrew Moore as the Wildcats’ representatives on the all-conference team.

Reagan led the Wildcats with a 16-over-86 in the par-70 course to finish third. Moore came in fourth with an 18-over-88 and March finished 10th with a 102. The top 15 finishers earn all-conference medals.

Reagan and March were named to the all-league team for the second year in a row. Moore, a transfer from Troy Buchanan, competed at the EMO tournament for the first time.

Also for the Wildcats, seniors Clayton Parker and Tatum Wessel finished in a tie for 18th with a 115.

MCHS finished with a four-player score of 391, edging last year’s champion North Callaway by two strokes. Hasekamp said he was thrilled his team won the conference tournament after placing third last year and second the year before.

“It’s been very much a goal of mine,” Hasekamp said. “We’ve been close two years in a row and we finally got it done. It was an ugly win because the conditions were tough, but we were able to persevere and get the job done. It was a really cool personal experience for me because as a varsity coach in any sport, that was the first time I’ve been on staff for a conference winner. That was a cool thing for me. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot this year. I was really glad we finally put it together and got it done.”

With the golf team winning the EMO championship, MCHS celebrated its second conference crown in the 2024-25 school year. The boys basketball team won the league title with a 10-0 this winter. Parker, Moore and Wessel were members of that squad.

North Callaway finished second in the team standings with a 393, followed by Elsberry with a 406, Van-Far with a 435, host-Wright City with a 465, Clopton with a 470, Bowling Green with a 517, Silex with a 581 and Louisiana with a 654.

Rex Mauzy of Elsberry won the individual championship with a 9-over-79.
The Wildcats wrapped up their regular season with a first-place tie with Hermann in a triangular match on May 1 at Loutre Shore Golf Club that included Steelville. They shot a 195.

MCHS fielded an all-senior lineup that included Parker, Wessel, Moore, Jay Rodgers and Isaiah Thomas. Parker led the way with a 45.

“It was good,” Hasekamp said. “It kind of gives them one last opportunity. I’ve got a couple of those kids who played who weren’t going to be on my roster for districts. I was glad to get them one more chance to wear the Wildcat uniform. It was a good day. The sun came out and was shining. The ground was a little wet, but I didn’t think we played too bad at all.”

Also, the Wildcats finished second to Elsberry in a quadrangular match on April 29 that was hosted by Silex and included Clopton. They shot a 211.