YORKTOWN — The future looks bright, but the now isn’t too bad either for Pendleton Heights boys golf team.

At the Hoosier Heritage Conference Boys Golf Tournament at The Players Club at Woodland Trails on Saturday, the Arabian quintet — which includes three freshmen, one sophomore and one junior — shot seven strokes lower than the championship winning total in 2021, and knocked off 41 strokes from what the Arabian team scored in a sixth-place finish a year ago.

Saturday’s round of 328 was just nine strokes behind the winning team, host Yorktown, and was good enough for fourth place in a strong field of the evenly-matched eight-team field.

Yorktown won with a 319. New Castle, led by individual champion Derek Tabor’s 2-under-par 70, was two strokes back with a 321. Last year’s champion, Mt. Vernon shot a 323.

Fifth through eighth scores included, New Palestine 339, Shelbyville 346, Greenfield-Central 350, and Delta 361.

Two Pendleton Heights golfers earned all-HHC honors; sophomore Sam Denny placed sixth with a 78, and junior Cohen Gray had an 81 to finish in a four-way tie for eighth place.

“Definitely a big momentum boost heading into the sectional,” Pendleton Heights coach Hunter Cook said of his all-conference golfers. “It’ll give them a bit more confidence heading into the last half of this year.”

Froshes Brady Gray and Ryan Davis weren’t too far behind that all-conference cut-off (81) with scores of 84 and 85, respectively.

Another freshman, Vance Jarvis, shot a 102.

“The kids played really well. They battled up and down,” Cook added about his team’s overall performance. “A couple of the kids had a tough stretch of holes, which got us to fourth place. Other than that, very pleased with how they played today. We played pretty well as a team.”

The team will return to The Players Club on Saturday for the Muncie Central Invitational. If they can advance, as a team or individually, from the Noblesville Sectional, set for Harbour Trees Golf Club on June 6, they could have a third trip to the Yorktown course for the post season’s regional round.

“Hopefully we will get four better scores next time (at The Players Club),” Cook said. “If we can get a couple people or the team out (of the sectional) and we can get back there and be able to have three or four rounds (experience). I think we could come out and surprise at the regional.

“I feel good about how these guys are playing right now. If we clean up a couple things in the next couple weeks, we’ll definitely have a chance on a sectional title.”