BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — For the third consecutive year, Clarion (308) claimed the boys 2A team title – downing Cranberry (339) by 31 strokes at Pincrest Country Club on Monday.
The Bobcats’ four-player team total was based on rounds by Kam Kerle (69), Devon Lauer (71), James Keenan (83), and Lucas Mitrosky (85). Tanner Miller also competed for the Bobcats.
(Pictured above, the Clarion golf team celebrates after winning a third straight District 9 Class 2A title)
As the District 9 champion, Clarion plays in a PIAA 2A subregional – taking on Central Martinsburg out of District 6 on Thursday in DuBois at the Treasure Lake Golf Resorts’ Silver Course. The winner of the subregional earns a berth in the state championship tournament to be played Wednesday, Oct. 18 in State College on the Penn State White Course.
Despite their run of recent success, the Bobcats have never advanced to the state team tournament, coming up short the past two seasons.
Scoring for the Berries were Cayden Baker (77), Dane Wenner (82), Dalton Wenner (84), and Ethan Merryman (96). Mason Albert was the fifth member of the Cranberry squad.
Keystone completed the KSAC sweep of the top three with a 357. The Panthers counted the rounds of Sean Karg (83), Talon Wilson, Braden Baylor (88), and Jonathan Schultz (99). Also in the Keyston line-up was Jerod Schruers.
North Clarion (366) and Curwensville (366) tied for fourth in the six-team field, both nine strokes out of third.
The Wolves were led by Ethan Carll (77), Mason Shaftic (89), Jack Buckley (96), and Conner Sliker (104). Kelton Stitt also teed it up for North Clarion.
Curwensville used the scores of Conner Howell (82), Davis Flemming (91), Trenton Best (95), and Grant Swanson (98). Connor Smay was the fifth member of the Golden Tide team.
Clearfield (391) also competed in the team tournament. The Bisons’ tally included the rounds of Dylan Greslick (91), Ethan Evilsizor (92), Luke Dixon (95), and Zac Walk (113). Landyn Langer was Clearfield’s fifth man.
2A Individual Rundown
Though the team championship was settled on Monday, it was only the first round of the boys’ individual tournament. As such, not only were 51 golfers trying to make the cut – only the top 16 advancing to Saturday’s final round (Oct. 7) – but also jockeying for position on the leaderboard, knowing only the top-6 qualify for the state tournament.
Clarion’s Kam Kerle enters the second on top the leaderboard, firing a 1-under-par 69 on the 5,746-yard course. Kerle, a junior, will be seeking his second consecutive district championship Saturday and third straight trip to states.
Following Kerle in second was teammate Devon Lauer (71), two strokes in arrears. Lauer, a senior, was a first-time state qualifier a year ago after just missing out as a sophomore, losing a three-hole playoff.
A pair of seniors will enter the final round tied for third, each with 77s – Cranberry’s Cayden Baker and North Clarion’s Ethan Carll. Baker was a state qualifier in 2022 and Carll in 2021 Brookville’s Killian Radel (79), a senior, ended the first round in fifth, while junior Dane Wenner (82) of Cranberry and senior Connor Howell (82) of Curwensville were knotted in sixth.
Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the tournament’s first day came in the contest for the 16th, which saw Clarion teammates Lucas Mistrosky, a junior, and Tanner Miller, a senior, forced into a playoff for the final transfer spot after both carded 85s in regulation.
Mitrosky, a state qualifier last season, prevailed in what was a gut-wrenching moment for both the competitors and their coach, Jay Kerle.
Ultimately, Clarion led the way with four golfers qualifying for the final round. Cranberry followed with three and DuBois Central Catholic two. Seven schools had one apiece – Brookville, Curwensville, Keystone, Moniteau, North Clarion, Oswayo Valley, and Punxsutawney.
2A First Round Leaderboard
1. Kam Kerle (Clarion) 69
2. Devon Lauer (Clarion) 71 (-2)
T3. Cayden Baker (Cranberry) 77 (-8)
T3. Ethan Carll (North Clarion) 77 (-8)
5. Killian Radel (Brookville) 79 (-10)
T6. Dane Wenner (Cranberry) 82 (-13)
T6. Connor Howell (Curwens.) 82 (-13)
T8. James Keenan (Clarion) 83 (-14)
T8. Aiden Snowberger (DCC) 83 (-14)
T8. Sean Karg (Keystone) 83 (-14)
T8. Dawson Wallace (Mon) 83 (-14)
T8. Jared Obenrader (Oswayo) 83 (-14)
T8. Evan Presloid (Punxy) 83 (-14)
T14. Dalton Wenner (Cran) 84 (-15)
T14. Triston Sedor (DCC) 84 (-15)
15. Lucas Mitrosky (Clarion) 85 (-16)
2A Second Round Tee Times
9:20 a.m.
Dalton Wenner (Cranberry)
Evan Presloid (Punxsutawney)
Triston Sedor (DuBois Central Catholic)
Lucas Mitrosky (Clarion)
9:30 a.m.
Jared Obenrader (Oswayo Valley)
Dawson Wallace (Moniteau)
Sean Karg (Keystone)
James Keenan (Clarion)
9:40 a.m.
Killian Radel (Brookville)
Dane Wenner (Cranberry)
Connor Howell (Curwensville)
Aiden Snowberger (DuBois Central Catholic)
9:50 a.m.
Kam Kerle (Clarion)
Devon Lauer (Clarion)
Cayden Baker (Cranberry)
Ethan Carll (North Clarion)
3A Team Roundup
In an upset, Bradford (343) avenged a pair of regular season losses at the hands of St. Marys (345) to win its first D9 championship.
(The Bradford boys golf team celebrates after winning its first D9 title)
The Owls downed the Dutch by three strokes in the two-team competition.
Contributing to the Owls’ four-person team score were Jake Franz (78), Wyatt Stark (85), Mitchell Brinsky (88), and Chase Winebrg (92). Tarren Reese was the fifth member of Bradford’s squad.
Said Bradford coach Travis Faulkner, “It was an upset, their [scoring] average was much better than ours. I knew that if we played to what we should play that we were going to give them a run for the money.
“I’m very impressed with our guys today, how they played. Jake Franz, considering he plays football and has a lot to do with football, to come our here and shoot a 78 – I’m very happy with that. Our core with Mitch Brinsky, Chase Wineberg, and Wyatt Stark really helped us out big. Even our freshman [Reese] had a 94 [which didn’t count]. I was happy with how we played.”
Bradford advanced to Thursday’s 3A sub-regional at the Treasure Lake Golf Resort Silver Course in DuBois (Oct. 5) and will square off against D10 champion Warren and D6 titlist State College. The winner plays in the PIAA state tournament at Penn State’s White Course on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
St. Marys counted the scores of Louie Nedzinski (79), Max Coyle (83), Anthony Nedzinski (89), and Alex Clark (94). Vinnie Azzato also played for the Dutch.
3A Individual Rundown (played with District 8)
Nineteen players were vying for eight spots in Saturday’s second round of the individual championship, the pair with the lowest two-day total earning a trip to states.
Leading the way by a single stroke after the first day was Bradford senior Jake Frantz (78), who holds a one stroke advantage over Louie Nedzinski, a sophomore at St. Marys.
Frantz was one of two Bradford players to advance, senior Wyatt Stark (85) the other.
Nedzinski led a contingent of three St. Marys’ players, with junior Max Croyle (83) and senior Anthony Nedzinski (89) also making the cut.
Taylor Allderdice advanced a pair – Liam Gedson (86), a sophomore, and Jonah Holst (89), a junior. Brock Smith, a senior, was the only DuBois player to advance.
University Prep/Sci-Tech/Obama Academy had two players competing at districts and Brashear one, though none made the cut.
3A First Round Leaderboard
1. Jake Frantz (Bradford) 78
2. Louie Nedzinski (St. Marys) 79 (-1)
3. Max Croyle (St. Marys) 83 (-5)
T4. Wyatt Stark (Bradford) 85 (-7)
T4. Brock Smith (DuBois) 85 (-7)
6. Liam Gedson (Allderdice) 86 (-8)
T7. Jonah Holst (Allderdice) 89 (-11)
T7. Anthony Nedzinski (Marys) 89 (-11)
3A Second Round Tee Times
9:00 a.m.
Brock Smith (DuBois)
Liam Gedson (Allderdice)
Jonah Holst (Allderdice)
Anthony Nedzinski (St. Marys)
9:10 a.m.
Jake Franz (Bradford)
Louie Nedzinski (St. Marys)
Max Croyle (St. Marys)
Wyatt Stark (Bradford)
