Magnificent Mustangs
Laurel Highlands golfers shine at FCCA championships
Laurel Highlands continued its strong golf season on Friday in earning the two individual championships and one team title in the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Tournament at Duck Hollow Golf Club.
The Mustangs’ Kayden Smith won the boys individual championship in shooting a 1-under-par 69 and Sydney Glover shared the girls individual title with Southmoreland’s Kendall Campbell, as both carded an 86. LH fired a combined score of 394 to top the field in the boys Class 3A field.
Frazier earned the team championship in Class 2A boys with a score of 416. Belle Vernon won the girls team title after shooting 409 among its four golfers.
Smith, a senior, birdied the second and eighth holes on the front 9 to shoot a 2-under-par 33. Smith birdied the 12th and 15th holes on the back 9, but bogeyed the 10th and 11th. He was close to finishing his round with a birdie on the 18th, but the putt didn’t fall, and he settled for par.
Despite not being able to finish at even par on the back 9, Smith won the tournament going away as Connellsville’s Wade Bryner, Geibel Catholic’s John Hess, Laurel Highlands’ Dan O’Neal and Southmoreland’s Gray Moyer tied for second place with a round of 78.
Albert Gallatin’s Tyler Felio and Gianni Paoli, and Southmoreland’s Brock Pritts tied for 6th with a round of 80. The Colonials’ Garrett Snyder and Frazier’s Garrett Seich tied for ninth place with both golfers firing a round of 81.
Smith, who was third in the FCCA tournament last year at Duck Hollow, played the course in the beginning of August during the Fayette County Open, and LH also plays at Albert Gallatin in section play, which has home matches at Duck Hollow, so he had some familiarity with the course.
“I am definitely familiar with this place, and when they make the No. 14 and 17 par 3s, that helps out a lot, too,” Smith said. “No. 17 is a tough hole. No. 14 is a little bit easier, but 17 can definitely break some rounds down.
“I think my irons and my putter were working pretty well today. I was just coming to play the game and take it one hole at a time. After nine, I knew I had played well, but I didn’t want to add it up.”
Connellsville’s Addie Richter was four strokes behind Campbell and Glover for the girls championship. Brownsville’s Ava Roland (91) and Belle Vernon’s Jessa Haney (92) were the fourth and fifth finishers in the girls division.
Campbell, a senior, placed second in last year’s FCCA tournament, while Glover had a debut to remember in tying for the title as a ninth grader.
“I was able to focus the whole time over the 18 holes,” Campbell said. “I was happy with my short game and putting. That was what helped me to score an 86, which is what I had here last year.”
The Scotties feature a girls golf team, but Glover plays with the boys squad, as Laurel Highlands doesn’t have a girls team. She also played 18 holes during tournaments over the summer, which helped her during Friday’s action.
“I have played in the ‘spigot’ (Southwest Pennsylvania Junior Golf Tour) tournaments over the last summer,” Glover said. “I took third in my age division in that, but it is a little bit different playing 18 holes than nine. You have to make sure you save your mentality to play nine more holes.
“I was happy with everything about my play today except my short game. My putting was all right on the front, but on the back, I fell apart. I feel like playing with our boys team makes me better because I have to compete for my spot against all the boys.”
The Mustangs’ Cole Dempsey (82), Ryan Revak (82) and Damon Revak (83) rounded out the top five for their team.
The Commodores’ Caden Biddle, John Sinchar and Logan Solomon all shot a round of 83, and Tyler Jerico finished with an 86.
Following Haney in scoring for the Leopards were: Gina Scaramucci (102), Ava Dudzinski (106) and Hailey Farrah (109).
Gary Houser and the staff at Duck Hollow Golf Club provided pizza and drinks for all the participants.