Golf is widely regarded as an individual sport, but at Bishop Gorman, it’s all about the team.
Sophomores Colton Rubenstein and Scott Boschee recently illustrated that point with a selfless gesture, and Gaels coach Dusty Allen could not have been more impressed.
“I am proud of the fact that our makeup from top to bottom takes the team aspect very seriously,” Allen said. “You get the sense that the boys are in it for each other, and a team championship would mean more to them than an individual championship.”
Both golfers had been invited to travel to Salt Lake City to represent Nevada in the Ryder-Cup-style Jay Don Blake Border War match on April 16, but there was a conflict. The decade-old annual event, which features the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association against the Utah Junior Golf Association, was scheduled to overlap the Gaels’ final Mountain League match.
A decision would have to be made, but there was another facet to the dilemma.
Because Gorman’s lineup is loaded with elite golfers, many talented athletes never get a chance to compete at the varsity level. By stepping away for a week, the duo would allow opportunities for some of those teammates.
Rubenstein held the top league ranking at the time, and Boschee was ranked third, meaning they both would have to sacrifice a potential regular-season individual championship and player of the year honors in order to compete in Utah.
The choice was a no-brainer.
Both boys withdrew from the league match, allowing senior Marco Mora to enter the lineup, and moving senior Colby Hutton to the top of the lineup.
“There have been years where I’ve asked players to forgo the last match to give a senior a chance to play and letter,” Allen said. “I hadn’t asked anyone to do that (this season), but Colton and Scott volunteered.”
Thanks to their gesture, Mora chipped in his final shot for birdie to get his letter, and Hutton had the best match of his career, nailing a 105-yard shot for eagle in front of nearly two dozen family members to win the league event at TPC Summerlin. And despite their missing teammates, the Gaels won the team title to sweep all five regular-season events.
To add icing to the cake, Rubenstein and Boschee helped Nevada win the Border War match.
“I knew I was in first place in points,” Rubenstein said. “But Marco playing in that last league match had more value than me winning player of the year.”
And besides, there would be other opportunities for the sophomore.
“I’ll still have two more chances,” he added.
Boschee said he and Rubenstein made their generous determination together.
“It was a joint decision,” he said. “We were both high in the (season) points. Being No. 1 in the points is cool and everything, but being able to represent Team Nevada was also a big thing. And it gave Marco a chance to play.”
With the dramatic situation behind them, the Gorman standouts are ready to help the Gaels work toward their goal of winning their first 5A state championship since 2023.
Again there is a selfless angle to that goal.
“Our coach really wants to win state,” Boschee said. “He puts so much time into it, like a college coach. I think it’s our job to give something back to him by being the best we can be.”
Rubenstein sees that happening.
“We feel like the team is pretty solid this year,” he said. “I feel like we’ve got a pretty good chance.”
Allen agrees, though he knows it won’t be easy.
“I would argue that this is the most wide open the championship has been in years,” said Allen, who knows teams such as Coronado, Doral Academy, Faith Lutheran and Palo Verde look strong. “There are other teams that are very capable. We just have to make less mistakes than everyone else.”
The Southern Region match will be held May 6-7 at Mountain Falls. Despite the recent lineup tweaks, Gorman will enter as the top seed from the Mountain League. A successful outing there would send the Gaels to the state match, to be held May 12-13 at Boulder Creek.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.
