The Astoria golf team.

Seaside senior Carson Kawasoe birdied the first hole of sudden death to win the Cowapa League individual title over defending state co-champion Elliot Lee of Tillamook on Monday afternoon at the Astoria Golf & Country Club.

In their last season in the Cowapa League, Banks won the team title with a 324 score, ahead of second-place Valley Catholic (329). Both schools will be dropping to the 3A level next fall.

Tillamook was third (360), followed by Seaside (384) and Astoria (395). All teams were set to compete Wednesday and Thursday in the District 1 region state qualifier.

“It was a back-and-forth battle all day between Kawasoe and Lee,” said Seaside coach Jim Poetsch.

Both golfers birdied the 12th, and Kawasoe tied the match with a birdie on the 16th. Both players missed birdie opportunities on the 18th hole to send the match into a sudden death playoff hole, won by Kawasoe.

Kawasoe and Lee were joined on the all-league team by Aaron Brown of Banks (74), Valley Catholic’s Ryoma Lane (77) and D.J. Ramano (78), a trio of Banks players (Ben Cost, 82; Jake Walters, 83; and Bo Wormington, 85), Valley Catholic’s Lucas Howell (86) and Aiden Liu (88), and Astoria’s Judd Field (90).

“It was great to see Carson join an elite group of Seaside golfers as Cowapa League champions,” Poetsch said, as Kawasoe finished second to teammate Curtis Kunde as a freshman in 2019, the last time the tournament was played.

Preview match

Defending 3A state champion Oregon Episcopal won a boys golf state preview match, held last Wednesday at Quail Valley Golf Course.

The Aardvarks posted a four-over par team score of 292, ahead of Banks, the top 4A school with a 323. Defending 4A champion Marist was third (326) followed by Valley Catholic (329).

Individually, Aaron Brown of Banks tore up his home course with a five-under par 67 to earn medalist honors. Alex Tseng of Oregon Episcopal was a stroke back at 68, ahead of his brother Ethan at 70.

Seaside was led by Carson Kawasoe’s 78, for ninth place. Also scoring for the Gulls were Carter Perrigo (105), Carson Bates (114), Ever Sibony and Merrick Habecker (each at 115) and Madden Wunderlich (111).

“Carson (Kawasoe) played much better than his score showed,” said Seaside coach Jim Poetsch. “He hit one in the water on nine and missed a slick downhill putt on six that led to doubles. Otherwise, he was pretty solid.

“As far as the state tournament, it looks like Banks, Valley and Marist will battle it out,” he said. “And if Cowapa League history holds, Tillamook could be right in the mix for a trophy.”