Carson Invitational to begin today

The 14th annual Carson High Invitational is scheduled for today and Thursday at Silver Oak Golf Club.

Play starts at 1 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Thursday.

Five Nevada 4A schools - Carson, Douglas, Galena, Spanish Springs and South Tahoe - and seven schools from California - Eureka, Sonora, Deer Valley-Antioch, Summerville, Nevada Union, Bellarmine-San Jose and Pitman - comprise the 12-team field.

Carson coach Rod Butler said there were 15 teams originally entered, but that Fallon, Damonte Ranch and El Cerrito dropped out.

The latter dropped out for school reasons. Fallon and Damonte Ranch dropped out because several players on both teams weren't available to play.

The Senators have been on a roll, winning four straight Sierra League events. Butler said that Jimmy Potter is out of town and won't play in the 36-hole event. His spot will be taken by junior Steven Hein, according to Butler. The rest of the Carson lineup - J.T. Cockerill, Scott Jenkins, Spencer Brinson, Zack Rispin and Matt Mitchell remains intact.

"I think we'll be pretty good," Butler said.

"Bellarmine won two years ago. Their coach said they aren't as strong this year.

"Two weeks in a row we didn't play well. Last week we shot 413 (at Rosewood Lakes). The numbers weren't that impressive. We were beating teams by 20 strokes. The conditions have been tough. Rosewood played hard in the wind. It was hard to hold the greens."

The final two Sierra tounaments are scheduled for the next two Tuesdays at Silver Oak and Genoa (old Sierra Nevada course).