HERSHEY — The State College Area High School boys golf team is off to a flying start, taking first in back-to-back six-team Mid Penn Conference Commonwealth Division road matches in the first week of the season.
The latest came on Thursday, Aug. 17, when the Little Lions, with a team score of a plus-5 289, finished 11 strokes ahead of host Hershey, their next closest competitor.
Central Dauphin, Cumberland Valley, Lower Dauphin and Chambersburg also competed.
State’s Chris Warner was the medalist, firing a minus-2 69. He beat teammate Luke McGraw and Hershey’s Carson Hummer by one shot.
State College’s Max Wager placed fourth, carding a 72. Brady Wager shot 75, A.J. Corson and Luke Ladrido 78 and Sam Shaner 83 to round out the Lions’ lineup.
One day earlier, in Chambersburg, State College finished four shots better than runner-up Hershey and six strokes lower than third-place Central Dauphin.
This time, Max Wager led the way for State, turning in the best card with a minus-2 70 to be medalist by three strokes.
Shaner was next on the Little Lion rolls, shooting 76 and placing eighth.
Corson and McGraw each shot 77, Warner checked in at 79 and Brady Wager wrapped up State College’s competitors with an 89.
Bloom medals at Philipsburg CC
PHILIPSBURG — The former members of the Mountain League — which were incorporated into the Laurel Highlands Conference this year — got together for a seven-team boys match at Philipsburg Country Club from which Bellefonte’s Isaak Bloom emerged as medalist by one shot over Hollidaysburg’s Isaac Miller.
Bloom recorded a score of 76. He had tied for low score at his first LHAC competition a few days prior.
Philipsburg-Osceola’s Jake Lucas and Bald Eagle Area’s Dru Smith had the next best scores for a golfer from Centre County, each checking in with an 84. Bellefonte’s Tanner Ebeling and Kory Lutz each shot 86, while BEA’s Wade Habovick had a round of 87.
Hollidaysburg ran away with the team win, scoring 318, with Bellefonte coming in second at 343, Bald Eagle third at 359 and P-O fifth at 373. Penns Valley only had three golfers, so the Rams were one shy of being able to score as a team.
Gavin Shalfa completed Bellefonte’s team score with a 95, while Cameron Garcia shot 99 for the Red Raiders.
BEA received a 93 from Kane Wolf, a 95 from Joe Jones and a 105 from Weston McClain. Trey Doyle shot 89 to lead the remainder of Philipsburg-Osceola’s lineup, with Parker Lamb checking in at 95, Ryan Kolby shooting 105 and Nick Desmone registering a 121.
Ben Karc’s 104 fronted Penns Valley, followed by Hayden Feltenberger with 107 and Trevor Bressler with 131.
Bloom shines at Nittany CC
MINGOVILLE — Bloom shot a 71 to share medalist honors in an LHAC boys match at Nittany Country Club on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
He shared low score with Bishop Guilfoyle’s Brody Partner-Gore.
It was a rough match for the Red Raiders overall, as no one else shot better than 95 and the team placed fifth out of seven teams. Martinsburg Central combined for the best round with a 314. Bellefonte shot 364.
Guilfoyle, Westmont Hilltop, Penn Cambria, Clearfield and Somerset also participated.
Ebeling had the second-best day for a Raider with a round of 95. Chalfa, Garcia and Lutz each shot 99.
Koshko fronts St. Joseph’s
BOALSBURG — Maddie Koshko was medalist by two shots with a 3-over-par 74 to power the St. Joseph’s boys over East Juniata Millersburg, Newport and Susquenita on Aug. 17.
Elliott Linger was next for the Wolves with an 84, two shots ahead of Haden Lingle. Luke Duckworth recorded a score of 95.
“We are still finding ways to work through tough patches and fine tune areas of the game that will help lower scores later, while at the same time winning,” St. Joseph coach Chad Walsh said. “I can’t really ask for a better start to the fall season.
St. Joseph’s shot 339 as a team.
Eagles place sixth
PORT MATILDA — Habovick’s 89 was Bald Eagle Area’s best score as the Eagles came in sixth out of seven teams in LHAC action at Sky Top Golf Course on Aug. 15.
The Eagles had a team total of 396. Hollidaysburg was the team winner with a 322, spurred by Miller’s medalist count of 72.
Smith was the only other Eagle in double figures, shooting 96. Wolf shot 104, McClain 107 and Jones 108.
Central Cambria, Chestnut Ridge, Forest Hills, Richland, Tyrone and Cambria Heights were also representing in the match.
State girls open home slate
STATE COLLEGE — State College hosted its first girls match of the season, coming in fifth out of six Mid Penn Conference schools on Monday, Aug. 21.
The Lady Little Lions finished fifth out of six schools with a total of 304. That was 30 shots off the pace of Cumberland Valley. Chambersburg, Mechanicsburg, Central Dauphin and Lower Dauphin were the other teams in action.
State College’s Hannah Kopac was seventh individually with a score of 91. State’s Carley Donnell and Claire Dworsky shot 105 and 108, respectively, while Libby Peachey finished with a 111.
Cumberland Valley’s Megan Fenton ran away with medalist honors by eight shots with a 76.
Kopac was tied for fifth with an 89 when State College opened the girls Mid Penn season at Chambersburg on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Dworsky, meanwhile, finished with a 97, while Donnell carded 99.
Lady Mounties second
EBENSBURG — Maddyx Hampton shot 54 and Olivia Hutton 56 as Philipsburg-Osceola placed second out of three teams in a LHAC girls match at Ebensburg Country Club on Aug. 16.
Baylie Vroman checked in with a 58 as the Lady Mounties finished with a 168 overall, just three shots behind winning Westmont Hilltop.
Bishop McCort was third.
Host Bishop Carrol didn’t have enough players to score, but Lady Husky Kylie Yoder was medalist with a 47.
Eagles third in non-conference match
MILL HALL — Dru Smith shot 88 but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Bald Eagle went 1-2 against Jersey Shore, Loyalsock and Sugar Valley Charter on Aug. 17.
The Eagles shot 370. Jersey Shore won with a 317.
Habovick and McClain each finished with a 97 for the Eagles, with Wolf shooting 98. Missing the cut were Jones with a 98 and Alex Posney with a 112.
Jersey Shore’s Liam McClain and Caylynn Schall each shot 75 to share medalist honors.
