A-K Valley golf preview: Fox Chapel boys ready to challenge for Section 4 title

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 16, 2018 | 10:27 PM

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Fox Chapel boys golf coach Bryan Deal is always happy to see his players competing out on the course, but that feeling carries even more meaning after what his team went through last year.

Two days before the Foxes were to play for the WPIAL Class AAA team championship, four players were involved in a car accident. Each one sustained injuries, forcing them to miss playing in the final. Everyone in the wreck has recovered, and the three underclassmen that were involved are back with the team for this fall.

The situation put things in perspective, and the Foxes are ready to put it behind them and challenge for a Section 4 title.

“A lot of people said how unfortunate it was, but in all reality we were very fortunate because they’re all still here with us,” Deal said. “It goes to show you how quickly we think something that is so important like winning a WPIAL championship can become irrelevant. That accident brought us closer as a golf family for everyone from the players, to the coaches, to the parents.

“It wasn’t our year last year, but all we can do is put it behind us and prepare as hard as we can this year, and hopefully it will be our year this year.”

The Foxes have fallen just short on several occasions over the last decade. They last won in 2006, but an experienced group has them optimistic they’ll be in the mix again.

Seniors Gregor Meyer and Grant Thiele, juniors Amani D’Ambrosio and Scott Bitar and sophomore Aidan Oherle all saw varsity time last year and boast good resumes.

Meyer won the WPIAL individual championship as a sophomore at Oakmont Country Club, which is where the individual final will be held this year. All five aforementioned players qualified out of sectionals last season.

“Gregor has done everything to prepare for the season, as has the other kids on the team, by playing competitive golf all summer,” Deal said. “If you want to be a great player and aid your team, you have to compete regionally, at the state level and even at the national level in these huge tournaments. The best way to get better is to play tournament golf.”

Fox Chapel likely will battle Franklin Regional and Central Catholic for the Section 4 crown.

Plum is also in Section 4 and returns three seniors: Kelsi Zik, Bryce Lynch and Matt Carroll.

Zik is one of several female golfers who have competed on Plum’s boys team over the last several years and likely will have one of the top spots in the lineup.

“The girls I’ve had have typically been some of my best players, so they’re going out against the other teams’ No. 1 or No. 2 players, and I’ve never seen it faze them,” Plum coach Brian Dunaway said. “Kelsi isn’t any different in that regard.

“If everyone gets a little bit better, I think we’ll be competitive. Obviously, we want to win the section and make the playoffs, but we’re in a very tough section to do that with Fox Chapel and Franklin Regional.”

Highlands, Knoch and Kiski Area play in Section 8-AAA with perennial favorites Hampton and Shady Side Academy.

Class AA

The Section 1-AA playoff race came down to the final week last year, with Freeport and St. Joseph sharing the section title, edging out Burrell and Riverview for the two postseason spots.

With Freeport, Burrell and Riverview returning the majority of their rosters, it’ll likely be a tight battle again.

“It was exciting down the stretch,” Freeport coach Joe Sprumont said. “It’ll probably be similar this season. I know Riverview had a lot of good freshmen and sophomores last year, so they should have a pretty good team coming back, and Burrell has a very good team year in and year out.”

Freeport has won at least a share of the section crown the last three years and has a six-year postseason streak.

The Yellowjackets return six seniors: David Gaspersic, Slade Ohl, John Zurisko, Vincent Lucchetti, Ryan Jacko and Zane Zeppuhar. Junior Dominic Kern also could see varsity time.

“David Gaspersic was second in scoring average last year behind Morgan Penn (the lone graduate), so on paper he is back as our No. 1,” Sprumont said. “The other guys got experience last year. They all lettered. They played in some junior tournaments this summer, and hopefully across the board they can all improve a little.”

Burrell returns four starters, led by Tiger Hubbard, who was one of two golfers to hit the target score in the section last year to advance to the WPIAL Class AA individual final. St. Joseph’s Derek Petrishen was the other golfer to advance out of sectionals.

Senior Nathan Smith, junior Marcus Pinchok and sophomore Logan Schoepf provide depth behind Hubbard.

“Last year, I talked about Tiger hitting the ball further, and this year he’s hitting the ball ever further,” Burrell coach Joe Virone said. “He’s also hitting it straighter then I’ve ever seen him. I know his goal is to get to the states in York. That’s been his goal. I would love to see that for him.

“Our guys have been working over the summer, and they’re getting better. I’m hoping they can all improve by two or three stokes.”

Riverview returns a quartet of juniors who started last year in Jack Harden, Jake Shoop, Daniel Domtucci and Chase Conroy.

Burrell and Riverview played tight matches last season, splitting them. One was a one-stroke victory, and the other was tied and needed a playoff to decide a winner.

Raiders coach Hal Biehl was pleased how each player has improved, including Harden, who will likely be their top player.

“Jack works on his game constantly,” Biehl said. “He’s a competitor, and he’s always dabbling with his game and trying to do something different with the ball. He’s also level-headed. If he has a bad hole he doesn’t blow up. He just keeps on playing. He’s like ice. He’s calm, cool and collected.”

St. Joseph graduated its top four players, and coach Al Vitelli retired after last season.

New coach Kristin Fontana has a mix of experienced players and four freshmen.

Thomas Preston is the lone senior and he’s joined by juniors Tyler Fontana, Logan Lindy and Josh Maltese.

“We’re looking to build this year, and hopefully be competitive this season and in the future,” Kristin Fontana said. “The kids get along so well. It’s nice to see the upperclassmen willing to transfer their knowledge to the freshmen.”

Leechburg is down on numbers with only five players on the team, but sophomore Cole Villa impressed many of the coaches in Section 1 with his play last season and could be a factor in the individual tournaments.

“Cole’s probably capable of being a scratch golfer,” Leechburg coach Matt Knapp said. “Like most young kids he’ll make a mental mistake every now and then that’ll bother him, but I’ve never seen anybody his age drive the ball as well as he does.”

Valley and Jeannette are also in Section 1.

Deer Lakes had a two-year section title streak snapped last year. The Lancers play in Section 3 with Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Winchester Thurston, Northgate, Eden Christian, Vincentian and Summit Academy.

Girls Class AAA/AA

The Fox Chapel girls are coming off a strong season in which they finished as runner-up in the WPIAL team championship and fourth in the PIAA finals.

The Foxes graduated top players Hannah Conroy and Cara Levicoff. Conroy qualified for the WPIAL individual championship in all four years of her varsity career.

Seniors Jess Paper and Nicole Garcia-Tunon and junior Emily Scheffler return. All three played in the PIAA team final last year.

Kiski Area is in Section 4 with Fox Chapel.

St. Joseph has the lone Class AA girls team in the Alle-Kiski Valley, and it has a new coach in Brian Lara.

Lara’s daughter Madison is a sophomore on the team. She had some success in summer tournaments. Seniors Julia Singleton and Kayla Golightly, juniors Sarah Preston and Caitlyn Lucs, and freshman Georgia Horgan make up the roster.

“I just want everyone to have fun,” Lara said. “This is the third consecutive year that they’ve had a new coach, unfortunately. I hope to be around a little longer to give them some stability.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.