Brayden DeStefano picks up his driver at the Country Club of Colorado on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
After a disappointing showing at state in 2023, the Red-Tailed Hawks are on fire to begin the 2024 season, winning four of their first six tournaments as a team.
Three players -- Brayden DeStefano, Charlie Doyle and Ethan Ivany -- are ranked in IWanamaker's top 10 4A golfers in Colorado. (IWanamaker Rating is a system that ranks golfers based on their scores in team stroke play events).
Three players on this year's squad -- DeStefano, Doyle and Ivany -- competed at state for Cheyenne Mountain last year.
The team finished fifth in the team standings after entering the tournament seeded second by IWanamaker despite entering with hopes of winning.
All three of them would tell you that the sting from that has fueled their hot start.
"Our fire comes from us wanting to get revenge on those teams," said Ivany, a senior.
DeStefano is a sophomore and has been the Red-Tailed Hawks' ringer so far.
He has the top individual IWanamaker rating in 4A (-3.03) and has shot under par in five of six rounds. DeStefano's best round came at the Sun Devil Invitational -- hosted by Kent Denver -- when he shot 63.
DeStefano was similarly strong as a freshman, finishing with a -.053 iWR. But improved short game has taken him to another level.
"I put in a lot more work on chipping and putting," DeStefano said. "I worked a lot harder than I did last year."
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Doyle, a senior, had the team's best finish at state in 2023, shooting a 68 on Day 2 to finish seventh. In five rounds in 2024, he has broken 70 four times.
And Ivany has done his part, shooting even-par or better in four of his six rounds.
"Coming back, we have mainly the same players," Doyle said. "That was really nice to know going into the summer. We knew that we're going to get better every day."
Four golfers get to represent their teams at the state tournament. DeStefano, Doyle and Ivany will certainly be a part of the Red-Tailed Hawks' squad, though the fourth spot hasn't been taken yet.
Cheyenne Mountain coach John Carricato said Fenn Mullins, Krew Coleman and Samuel Herholtz are among the golfers vying for the last spot.
Regardless of which golfer gets it, Carricato and DeStefano are confident that the program's culture -- and camaraderie within it -- will allow Cheyenne Mountain to perform better in this year's postseason.
"These kids are all feeding off of each other and they're getting better," Carricato said. "I think they recognize that we have to bring it every week."
DeStefano said, "(Last year) just brought us closer. We're all better friends now. It's going to help us in the long run."
Cheyenne Mountain is showing that it has transformed last year's setbacks into a formidable edge. The path to redemption is clear, and the team is determined to seize the opportunity that lies ahead.
"I think it's preparation," Ivany said. "You have to go down and trust the work that you've put in."