Although the Knights did have a better day today as predicted, it was Syracuse's players who turned in the superlative performances to earn the 5A state golf crown at Valley View Golf Course in Layton, while Lone Peak finished second and Fremont third.

The Titans combined for a score of 579, topping the Knights by 13 strokes at 592, and they in turn finished 17 strokes ahead of Fremont at 609. Only four points separated these three teams after the first round.

"It was an improvement over yesterday, but I still don't think we played our best," said Lone Peak coach Troy Nordick. "It was an average day for most of our guys, while Syracuse really came out and played.

"They brought their 'A' game today; they wanted it," the coach continued. "I think they were remembering last year a little bit." The Titans were in the top group last year too but ended up finishing third.

"It was fun to watch," Nordick said. "They were awesome kids and real gentlemen. They were shaking each other's hands and encouraging each other. Golf is such a stressful sport to watch, but it was fun to see all the kids go grind it out.

"I think my kids learned a lot," he added. "Second isn't what you strive for, but it could be a lot worse. Today it was what we deserved, and I think we understand a little better now what it means to be a team."

Garrett Fotu and Joe Parkinson have had a lively competition with each other as the team's top two golfers during their high school careers. This was their final round as Knights, but both will be moving on to the college ranks.

Last year, Fotu led after the first day and ended up winning the individual title by four strokes. In 2009, he got off to a slow start in Round 1 with a 76 and cut eight strokes off that score on Day 2, but the resulting 144 was only good enough for fourth place.

"It was kind of a humbling experience," he said. "It just goes to show that you can't always win. Syracuse played really good and they earned it."

Fotu knew he was out of sync the first day. "I was rushing everything, going low and not taking my time," he said. "Today I was slow and smooth and everything felt much better. I just felt like I was playing my game."

While he can't sign officially until November, Fotu has given his oral commitment to the University of Minnesota golf program. He expects to report during the summer next year and said he's looking forward to the challenge of taking his game to a new level.

Parkinson was one of the more dramatic stories of the tournament last year, starting out poorly but dropping 11 strokes off his score the second day to tie with Fotu for the low round and finishing in third place overall.

This season's rounds were a little more consistent and he ended up tied for fifth overall at 146.

"It's a huge experience, being able to go to state," Parkinson said. "It prepares you for what it's going to be like in college. It really shows you that no matter how bad you're playing, your teammates are counting on you and you can't ever give up."

Parkinson is hoping he will get to continue his playing career at BYU, but his exact destination has yet to be determined.

In the meantime, he'll be working on improving his game and reflecting on the lessons he's learned from his high-school experiences.

"Golf is about respecting each other," he said. "You always need to give credit and encourage others. You can't talk down to your teammates."

Nordick sees nothing but a bright future for them both.

"Joe is probably one of the hardest-working kids you'll meet and Garrett is just talented," the coach said. "In the right situations, they could really amount to something."

• Beky Beaton can be reached at bbeaton@heraldextra.com.