Baden Delaney is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Vista for AZPreps365.com

Desert Vista will travel north to Flagstaff to compete in a highly regarded tournament, The Peaks Invitational, Oct. 6-7 at Continental Country Club.

The tournament is a 36-hole match spanning two days, and has an 18-team field that includes some familiar foes for Desert Vista, including Hamilton, Pinnacle, and Brophy Prep. Sandra Day O’Connor High School is competing and also is the host team for this event. 

The most unique part of this tournament is how the playing conditions in Flagstaff will be far different than those most of these teams are used to because of the high altitude, which is just over 6,900 feet.

Desert Vista head coach Matt Russo understands the challenges of the altitude and just how much it changes the team’s preparation and game plan. The ball is going to travel much farther at that altitude, so Russo was adamant about how the driver won’t be in use very much in this event. “What we need to work on specifically is 200-to 220-yard tee shots,” Russo said. 

Putting also is going to be a key part of preparation for Desert Vista according to Russo because of how fast the greens are at the course. “Continental [green speed] is insane so we are going to have to work a lot on sloped putts, " Russo said.

The difference in golf at that altitude can be game changing for all the teams in the field and Desert Vista junior Ethan Chambers knows that the way he and the team play will be a little bit different from usual. “It’s just a different type of course than we play down here because the ball travels differently up in Flagstaff,” Chambers said.

Desert Vista is ranked as the 14th-best team in Division I and has a nine-hole round average of 8.495 strokes over par. To put this into perspective, the No. 1 team in Division I, Hamilton, has an average score of  2.858 strokes under par.

Desert Vista has a very well-rounded roster, but is headlined by senior Bode Thomas, junior Chambers, and freshman Tyler Reese. These three will play a vital part in Desert Vista’s success in Flagstaff.

The players look forward to this event every year and although it still is business as usual for Desert Vista, the team is eager for new scenery and the social aspect of the trip.

“It’s definitely exciting to get to stay in a room with the team and travel somewhere to get more experience,” Thomas said.

Not only is this an important event, but also is a learning experience for the team as Russo plans to take them around the Northern Arizona University campus so they can “see what the college life is like,” Russo said. 

While the event looks to be a great time for the team, the players still are focused on playing well and making a statement. Desert Vista’s last major event was the Dobson Classic, in which the Thunder finished 20th out of 28 teams. Russo and the players know they are capable of playing at this level of competition and will look to prove that. 

The tournament tees off at 9.am. Oct. 6.