Newberry's Jarrett Zellar watches his drive during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 2 boys golf at Portage Lake Golf Course just outside Houghton on Wednesday. (Jason Juno photo courtesy MHSAA.com)

HOUGHTON — The Newberry High School golf teams usually don’t bother with the smartphone mobile app utilized for scoring at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals because there isn’t cell service on most of the courses they play during the regular season.

But the technology worked fine at Portage Lake Golf Club in Houghton on Wednesday, and when the Division 2 finals in boys golf came down to one stroke, being able to track the score in real time made for high drama.

Coach Kenn Depew said it was the most nervous he’s ever been on a golf course. The players, he said, knew one bad shot could ruin the day for the entire team.

It also made the ending even sweeter.

When Newberry freshman Austin Boulton got out of the bunker and made his putt on the final hole, Depew and the team could finally exhale.

And celebrate.

“When Austin made that putt, I went up and gave him a big hug and said, ‘You just won a state championship,'” Depew said.

Newberry edged Hancock 316 to 317, putting an end to the Bulldogs’ two-year reign as champions. The title also was Newberry’s first in boys golf, with its previous best MHSAA Finals finish a second place in U.P. Class C-D in 1992.

“We knew we were in for a tough battle,” Depew said. “We had to play real good because Hancock was the defending champs, I think they returned everyone and they were on their home course.

“We knew we were in for a battle. We had to shoot some really good numbers.”

Sophomore Jarrett Zellar certainly did that. He shot a 4-under-par 68, the first time anyone in the U.P. in Division 2 had shot in the 60s at a finals. He ended five shots ahead of Boulton, who finished runner-up with a stellar round of his own with 73.

“Basically my putting was a big factor,” Zellar said. “I never really putted that good before. Somehow everything was clicking.”

Depew stayed away from Zellar as it was pretty apparent early on the kind of day he was going to have.

“I’ve played quite a bit of golf with Jarrett and he was in a zone,” Depew said. “I went and dealt with the other four players because it became very apparent that every stroke was going to matter to us.”

Zellar will be an upperclassmen next year.

“Last year Jarrett was the best freshman I ever coached, and now this year he’s the best soph …,” Depew said.

He didn’t quite finish the word “sophomore,” continuing instead, “He’s the best player I ever coached.”

And Zellar does far more than putt.

“He’s really the total package,” Depew said. “He hits it good off the tee. He hits irons good, he chips good and today he really got hot with the putter as well. So that’s a great combination to have.”

For Zellar, it was just as good a combination to win the U.P. Division 2 title individually and with his team.

“It felt pretty good,” he said. “It was the defending team that we beat; we beat them on their home course.”

Everyone stepped up to do that, Depew said, including their No. 4 golfer, junior Oliver Sevarns, who also hit a big putt late. Sevarns shot 92, while freshman Carter Jankowski had 83 to tie for 15th and sophomore Quentin Magnuson rounded out Indians’ scorers with 97.

Nine golfers finished the day shooting under 80. Ironwood sophomore Caleb Sprague carded 76 to tie for third place with Kirby Storm, who led the way for runner-up Hancock and was the only senior among the top five.

Baraga freshman Alden Leiter and Jeffers junior Tage Rajala rounded out the top five, each with 77.

It wasn’t a big dropoff from the top two schools in the team standings, either. Jeffers was third with 329, a dozen strokes higher than Hancock, while Baraga was close behind in fourth with 333.

Ishpeming came in 11th with 377, while Munising was 16th with 490.

After Leiter’s 77, Baraga was paced by sophomore Kayden Davidson with 80 to tie for 10th, then senior Daniel Connor and sophomore Kale Cichosz each shot 88 to tie for 22nd.

The Hematites were led by their only non-freshman, junior Kody Baer, who tied for 15th with 83, while Kian Gauthier had 88, also a tie for 22nd. Zak Hyry added 101, Cash Clements 105 and Brandt Thompson 116.

Munising was paced by junior Makai Rautanen, his team’s only non-freshman, with 98 as Dawson Heyrman had 122, Gordon Robare 126 and Weston Jones 144.

Jason Juno is the sports editor The Globe of Ironwood and reported this story for the Michigan High School Athletic Association website, mhsaa.com.