POULSBO — The North Kitsap Viking boys’ golf team collectively closed out the season last week at an impressive 5-2 in league, losing only to Gig Harbor and South Kitsap while taking a strong third place in the Narrows Bridge.

Team play, however, is over. And they’re all on their own the rest of the way.

North heads to the Narrows League Tournament at 10 a.m. May 19 at Lake Spanaway in Tacoma. Ninety-six players will duke it out over two days to determine which 14 golfers will go to the state tournament June 1-2 at Indian Canyon in Spokane.

With the way many of the team’s golfers have been playing this year, head coach Tom Harney isn’t expecting to go home early.

“If they shoot what they’re capable of shooting,” he said of his top players, “they have a very good shot of going (to state).”

It will not be an easy journey. Perennially solid squads Bellarmine and Gig Harbor bring 12 players combined to the competitive field. Just to qualify for the second day of play, one needs to make it in the top 28 golfers.

“My top four have really gotta have their A games to go to state,” Harney said, noting that a pair of 76 scores or better will be necessary to do so.

Four players this year have been “very productive,” this season, Harney said — the brothers Stephen and Joey Duwe, David Dobson and Evan Faulk.

Harney has been impressed that those individuals helped the team take third place overall at the annual Higgins tournament among 13 teams, as well as taking fourth out of 15 at the Duke Streeter, an annual Port Angeles tournament.

There is good reason to think their positive results will translate into successful postseason play. Harney said Stephen Duwe and Dobson have shot under par at Port Ludlow golf course this year, something not many of his players do. He added that Joey Duwe shot an even par at the Trophy Lake Course, also a rarity.

“I’ve got three golfers shooting par or better which is very nice,” Harney said. “Especially as underclassmen.”

Faulk, his No. 4 player, also has a chance at moving on at Spanaway, though he’ll have to play well to get there, Harney said.

“Evan needs to work on his consistency,” Harney commented. “But is really showing signs of life.”

Even so, the Vikings need to bring up the back, the coach said, getting its five through eight players up closer to the level of the one through four line up.

“It cost us two of our league matches,” he said.

As usual, North Kitsap’s golfers face an uphill battle in finding enough time and money to play on a consistent basis. Harney said he expects to find almost exclusively golfers who play year round at clubs at the state tournament.

“All my kids are at least a half hour from a golf course,” he said.

However, with the construction of the White Horse Golf Course in Kingston, combined with a youthfully skilled team, Harney said the year’s to come will see a rise in the team’s prominence.

“Most of my kids are freshman, sophomores and juniors,” he said. “And hopefully we’ll get White Horse opened up where we’ll have a home course.

“The future looks bright,” he added.