SANDPOINT — Bode Eacret, Sandpoint High's top golfer for the last two years, has found his next home as he signed to the Southern Oregon men's golf team on Wednesday. 

Eacret said Michelle Grafos, one of his golf coaches in Spokane, pushed him to reach out to Southern Oregon last year. The Sandpoint senior took a visit down to Ashland and enjoyed the team and culture that head coach Noah Horstman had built. 

"I communicated to them that was a place I really wanted to go play," Eacret said. "At the beginning of the season, I kept them updated, and then they offered me within a month, and I knew that was where I wanted to go." 

Southern Oregon, nicknamed the Raiders, is an NAIA program that competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Raiders play at invitationals across the West Coast throughout the year leading up to the Cascade Conference Championship in April. 

Eacret has proved himself to be a force in 5A golf, pushing the Bulldogs to qualify for the state tournament as a team last year and medaling to qualify by himself this year. Sandpoint head coach Mike Deprez said Eacret set the example every day in practice. 

"Bode was born and raised to be the consummate golfer and teammate," Deprez said in a statement. "From day one, from our initial introduction in middle school to now, he had both feet in on being the best golfer possible. It was a gift to myself & the golf program that he was a Bulldog... I could not have hoped for more from any player." 

Eacret thanked his parents, coaches Jeff Gove, Aaron Rowe, DePrez and Grafos, the Idaho Club and the Sandpoint Elks Lodge for helping him on his journey to become a collegiate golfer.  

The Bulldogs said he's looking forward to playing more of the sport he loves with his new team. 

"The team camaraderie of playing golf together is why I love it," Eacret said.