SPARKS - The high-powering spring winds didn't cease to affect the High Desert League in its first boys' golf tournament of the season.

"It had to be in the 30s with the wind chill because we were freezing," Fallon coach Steve Hutchens said. "But at the same time, everybody had to play. Everybody struggled. It was tough going."

Spanish Springs, the defending state champs, won the tournament by 18 strokes, 401-419, over Galena Tuesday afternoon at the 6,849-yard, par-71 D'Andrea Golf Course. Bishop Manogue took third with 422 followed by Fallon's 427.

"With the wind and the cold like that, it exposes a lot (of flaws)," Hutchens said. "All the teams had a hard time putting. The wind affected everything. You get to these holes and the gusts were amazing. It was too hard to figure out."

Putting, like last year, troubled Fallon as every player shot in the 80s. Hutchens said some of the players shot between five and 10 strokes on the tricky holes.

Shane Smith led the Greenwave with an 81, good for eighth overall, and Ryan McCormick finished 10th with an 83. Matt Vanderbeek shot an 87 and Braden Jacobs and Tyler Sugg each scored an 88.

"It absolutely was unbelievable. It was just really tough to figure out the putting," Hutchens said. "If it was equal for everybody then we're going to have to fight. I don't expect Braden to shoot an 88 every day. Shane hung in right in there with the number-one players in our region. There's only one number-one player that Shane came in second to. That's good."

Hutchens said the team did well striking from the tee.

"We seem to be good ball strikers," he said. "They hit the ball really nice and up on the green. I'm encouraged that we have two top-10 finishers. Those are very good scores under these conditions when you look at how some of these other kids did."

Despite the conditions, Hutchens said the tournament gave his team an idea about the league. Spanish Springs will be tough, but Hutchens said the rest of the HDL is evenly matched.

"It kind of lets us know where we're at," the second-year coach said. "It gets the kids competing and seeing their scores. You look at the other schools and it looks like a lot of balance and parody. We're going to have to fight hard to keep Elko off."

Fallon hosts the second HDL tournament, Monday, at the Golf Course at Fallon, at noon.

"We are really looking forward to that after yesterday," Hutchens said about the home meet. "You never really know what the weather's going to do. I think all schools feel comfortable on their own course."