Region 12 boys golf: Morgan’s Jace Benson scoops first career region title at Schneiter’s Bluff
Loaded Trojans program bracing for another run at 3A title
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- Morgan’s Jace Benson during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Ogden’s Parley Gladwell pictured during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Morgan’s Caleb Rees during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Ben Lomond’s AJ Vazquez during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Morgan’s Davis Wilkins during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Morgan’s Braxton Telford during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
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- Morgan’s Korver Toone during the final round of the Region 12 boys golf tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at Scheiter’s Bluff Golf Course in West Point.
WEST POINT — A mere three strokes separated Morgan High boys golf from a sixth 3A state championship last fall, a fact perhaps lost in the shadow of graduate Lance Loughton’s repeat title during a climactic battle with a region foe in Ben Lomond alum Cayson VanBeekum.
Led again by a strong cast of starts, the Trojans are back on the warpath following a 72-stroke team victory at the Region 12 boys golf tournament.
Morgan sophomore standout Jace Benson’s tourney-low 66 secured his first-ever individual region title with a total score of 139 on Tuesday at Schneiter’s Bluff Golf Course, and a second trip back to the state tournament following a third-place finish a year ago as a freshman.
Two strokes back, Caleb Rees emerged as the tournament’s runner-up with 141 total. Davis Wilkins (3rd, 147), Braxton Telford (T4th, 151), and Kaiser Olaveson (T4th 151) filled out the top five for Morgan; Korver Toone and Cash Peterson tied for seventh with 155.
“They’ve been on a mission all year to correct that,” Morgan coach Dennis Peterson said. “These guys have all made improvements and, by our scores, it’s easy to see how hard they’ve worked at this game. I just can’t be more proud of the boys than I am right now.”
Save for Loughton, Morgan’s incoming state team largely resembles that of 2024 with Benson, Olaveson, Peterson, Rees, and Toone back, and newcomer Telford joining the card, for the state tournament at Stansbury Golf Course in Stansbury Park next month.
The stars aligned, and five Trojans finished Tuesday swinging 79 or lower for their 10th all-time region championship heading into the postseason. Peterson has watched five such dream seasons morph into state titles during his coaching career, tied for the sixth most in the state.
With just one senior in Cash Peterson, Morgan’s youthful team finds itself in the business of keeping hot teams from getting any hotter, the elder Peterson said.
“Golf is what it is,” Peterson said. “Any day, someone can get hot and that’s our whole thing is to guard against those teams that get hot (at) state, and there are so many good teams out there. There are teams across the board that can jump up on the board and beat up on us.”
For Morgan’s region neighbors to the west, the annual region romp didn’t fare as well.
Ogden’s Logan Handy shot 159 overall (over two rounds) to grab one of just three top-10 spots not belonging to Morgan; Logan’s Braden Anderson finished sixth with 153, and Ethan Wolley in 10th with 160. Overall, the Tigers slid behind Grantsville, finishing the tournament third, after entering the final round tied at 332 strokes apiece.
Cooper Pitcher’s 168 score led Ben Lomond tourney-wide as the Scots finished fifth squad-wise.
TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL SCORES
1. Jace Benson, Morgan 73/66 – 139
2. Caleb Rees, Morgan 71/70 – 141
3. Davis Wilkins, Morgan 75/72 – 147
T4. Kaiser Olaveson, Morgan 72/79 – 151
T4. Braxton Telford, Morgan 71/80 – 151
6. Braden Anderson, Morgan 75/78 – 153
T7. Cash Peterson, Morgan 74/81 – 155
T7. Korver Toone, Morgan 79/76 – 155
9. Logan Handy, Ogden 84/75 – 159
10. Ethan Wolley, Logan 76/84 – 160
TEAM SCORES
1. Morgan 287/284 – 571
2. Logan 313/330 – 643
3. Grantsville 332/323 – 655
4. Ogden 332/325 – 657
5. Ben Lomond 363/350 – 713
Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
