Kiski Area’s Max Mottura wins WCCA boys golf championship in scorecard playoff

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, September 12, 2024 | 11:50 PM

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If Greensburg Salem freshman Luke Sikora could do it all over again, he would play his final hole at the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association boys golf championship, and he would hit driver.

Sikora, however, hit a 3-wood, and his ball hit a tree to the right of the fairway, leaving him a difficult second shot. Sikora ended up recording a double-bogey 6 and finished as co-medalist with Kiski Area junior Max Mottura with a 3-under-par 69 on Thursday at Latrobe Elks Golf Club.

Mottura was awarded first place in a scorecard playoff. It was decided on the fourth-hardest hole when Mottura birdied No. 11, and Sikora parred.

Norwin senior Dom Cerilli finished third with a 2-under 70, breaking the school record for low round in the county tournament.

Franklin Regional’s Colin Holt and Latrobe’s Jack Sacriponte shot 73s, Belle Vernon’s Seth Tomulski and Greensburg Central Catholic’s Braden Riley shot 74s, Kiski Area’s Trey Roberts had 75 and rounding out the top 10 medalists were Burrell’s Tucker Bitar and Ligonier Valley’s Tyler Jones (76). Jones eagled his final hole, No. 8, to reach the top 10.

Mottura, starting on the front nine, had two birdies (Nos. 3 and 9) and two bogeys (Nos. 2 and 5) to finish even. On the back nine, he recorded three birdies (Nos. 11, 14 and 18).

“I just played my game,” Mottura said. “I kept calm and took it one shot at a time and made few mistakes. I made a lot of birdies.”

Mottura made a great par save on No. 17. His drive ended up right of the green in No. 12 fairway.

“I knew the green sloped to the front, so I hit a shot to the right of the pin and let the slope work,” Mottura said. “Winning this means a lot.

“I’ve played a lot of golf with Nick (Penn-Trafford’s Turowski). He won it last year, and we’ve been talking to him a lot of mental game wise. He just told me to keep calm and play your game.

“I could not ask for a better day weather wise. To play the way I did meant a lot.”

Sikora approached the final hole at 5-under. He started his round on No. 9 with a birdie. He added birdies on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 and headed to the front nine 4-under,

After a bogey on No. 1, he birdied Nos. 4 and 5 to reach 5-under.

“I played really good until that final hole,” Sikora said. “But it was a disappointing ending.

“I could not have putted better. I probably made four or five putts outside 15 feet. I was just hitting it well.”

Cerilli had five birdies and four bogeys during his round. His birdies came on Nos. 3, 4, 7, 15 and 18.

“I kept it simple and listened to what my dad had taught me,” Cerilli said. “I just played my simple game. Once I saw the birdie putts fall, I knew more would come. This was my lowest round in a tournament.”

Cerilli said his confidence was soaring during his round, and he’s looking forward to the rest of the season.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.