PINEHURST — This week’s 2-A state golf championship went about as coach Jim Kozuch expected. The Pam Pack placed eighth out of the 12 teams vying for the title. Eric Lovenberg led the team by shooting a 161 through the two-day event.

The finish, as well as the conference and regional championship the boys picked up along the way, capped off an incredible season. Considering that Washington lost Peter Birdsong and William Page from last season’s fourth-place team, winning some titles and holding its own in the state championship made for a strong season.

“We beat the teams we were supposed to beat and lost to the teams we were supposed to lose to,” Kozuch said. “We were hoping to go out there an beat a couple of teams. We had realistic expectations. We didn’t think we were going to go out and win the state championship, so we wanted to have a good time.

“It’s pretty easy for me to evaluate (the season). We lost two golfers that both shot in the 70s. Obviously, we wanted to have a good season. If you look back now, it was a great season. … I think we overdid our expectations.”

The course itself was tough. Playing on consecutive days proved to be a mental and physical strain on most involved. Blake Parker was the lone Pam Pack golfer not to experience a drop off from the first day to the second. He shot an 89 on the second day after opening with a 95.

“I’m pretty sure, second day, they tried to toughen the course up,” Kozuch said. “The pin locations were strategically placed on the green in spots that were going to challenge the guys. It’s tough playing golf two days in a row. Our course had serious elevation.”

It was hard right off the bat, too. The first hole of the first day was the course’s toughest: a par-five, 580-yard hole.

“They didn’t get any time to settle into it. They got thrown right into the fire,” Kozuch said. “The elevation on the course wore them down and it was pretty hot and humid. It was what it was supposed to be. The state championship is not supposed to be easy.”

Kozuch said that he had the Pam Pack try to focus within. He didn’t want any of the boys getting too caught up in what other teams were shooting.

In addition to all of the team’s accomplishments this season, Kozuch was named 2-A Eastern Plains Conference coach of the year.

“I’m just happy and lucky,” he said. “Just like any other sport, I’m lucky to have good golfers. … Those guys won the conference. I’d like to personally congratulate my boys on winning the conference and making me look good!”