Red Raiders wrap up Section 2 golf title
NORVELT – Forget that share and share alike routine, this year the title belongs strictly to Uniontown. The Red Raider golf team fired a 189 over the front nine Tuesday at Norvelt Golf Course to defeat host Mount Pleasant (201) and complete an outstanding double.
First, the win gives Uniontown the championship of Section 2, Division 1, and secondly it was their 26th section win in a row with one match still to go against Laurel Highlands. Ironically, the Mustangs are the last team to defeat UHS in section play.
A year ago, Uniontown lost its opening section match to the Mustangs then ran off 13 wins the rest of the season as the teams shared the title. This year the Raiders (13-0 section, 14-1 overall) have another 13-match streak to clinch a repeat title.
Coach Aaron Scott said, “It feels very, very good. It’s the result of a lot of hard work, and it’s really great to see a group like this work as well together as they do. I really didn’t give them any talk before the match. I just told them basically there was no pressure on them for, even if they lost, they would have at least a tie for the title, but a win would give them first place outright.
“I’m very proud of what they have accomplished this season, and I am also very pleased with the way they have represented themselves and Uniontown High School.”
In congratulating the Raiders for their win, Mount Pleasant coach Matt Gross said, “They are a very good team. When your first three golfers finish with a combined two under par, you aren’t going to lose too many matches.”
Zach Rockwell was Uniontown and match medalist with 2-under-34, including four birds, Greg Franko was a stroke back with 1-under-35 and three birds, Bobby Umbel was one-over-37, Ryan Hutnick shot 41 and Jarred Bartok had a 42 to complete the winning scorecard, and Jonathon Latsnic had a 43.
Pat White and Brett Lehman shared medal honors for Mount Pleasant (9-5, 8-4) with a 2-over-38.
Rockwell said of his medal score, “It feels pretty good. I had a good game and couldn’t have picked a better time to do it, but I hope I can repeat it in the last match. All parts of my game came together today. I hit the ball solid off the tees, my iron play was where I wanted it to be and I made a lot of nice putts, all one- and two-putt greens.”
Rockwell started off with successive birds on one (330-yard, par 4) and two (495-yard, par 5), losing one of them to a bogey on three (336-yard, par 4), followed by two pars, a bird on the short sixth (155-yard, par 3), a bogey on seven (304-yard, par 4), a bird on eight (430-yard, par 4) and a par on nine.
On one, he “hit a good drive, but it went left, about 40 yards into a little bit of rough. I hit a good lob wedge chip to about 12 feet from the pin and got the putt. On two, I had a real good drive down the middle, then hit a five-iron about 185 yards to the green and two-putted from 20 feet, the second one about one foot.
“The sixth was a par three, but wasn’t playing long, so I hit a pitching wedge off the tee to about six feet away and got the putt. My drive on eight was a good one, down the left side of the fairway about 100 yards from the green. I hit a wedge pin high, but pulled it about 25 feet to the left, then made the putt, my longest one of the day.”
Rockwell, who missed by a stroke the previous day of qualifying for the WPIAL finals, had mixed emotions about his 35, noting with a smile, “I’m happy with the score, but I would trade a couple of strokes from today for yesterday. Overall, I didn’t do anything great today, but I didn’t do anything bad either. I had a couple of ball bounces that might have cost me birds, but overall, I’m pleased today.”
Rockwell had birds on one, three (336-yard, par 4), and eight, getting “real good drives” on all three.
On one, his drive “was close to the bunkers, and I had to hit over them. I hit a sand wedge to 15-feet away and got the putt. I finally got a putt to drop 19 holes later.
“My drive on three was just short of the green, and I chipped up to about eight feet away and got the putt. My drive on eight went down the left side of the fairway. Then I hit a pitching wedge about 100 yards to within six feet of the pin.”
Umbel also birdied eight, where he “hit a drive right, and then had to cut my second shot around a tree. I used a pitching wedge to get around it and landed on the green three feet away, and got the putt. I kept the ball in play off the tees and then hit my irons straight, but my putting could have been a lot better. It’s nice to be part of a second successive section title.”
Mount Pleasant’s two medalists both eagled the ninth (320-yard, par 4), with White coming about two feet short of an ace.
White said, “I hit a real good three-wood drive. I saw the ball heading for the green, but I didn’t know where it was until getting to the green and seeing it so close to the cup.”
Lehman said, “I knew I had to finish well, so I just left it all go and hit a real good drive, landing just off the green and then chipping in.”
As he left the course, Gross said, “Watch out for us next year. We lose only one golfer (Rob Chlebowski) and have seven of our first eight coming back.”