Quaker Valley golf team off to fast start
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Monday, September 4, 2017 | 11:00 PM
The Quaker Valley boys golf team might have lost 2016 PIAA Class AA individual champion Chris Tanabe, but is doing perfectly fine without him.
The Quakers are 6-0, including 4-0 in Section 9-AA. Among their wins was a 196-202 decision over Moon, a WPIAL Class AAA finalist last season.
Tanabe, a past WPIAL champion, is a freshman on the Bucknell men's team.
“A golfer like (Tanabe) doesn't come around often,” Quakers coach Greg Vecchi said. “We can't replace him with one individual, but with the improvement of all of the top (seven) golfers.”
Senior Rico Fernandez leads the Quakers with a nine-hole average of 40, one stroke better than junior Michael Tanabe, Chris' brother.
Seniors Jackson Hoey, Ryan Jones and Nico Samakas and juniors Evan Frund and Charlie Henry also play.
Fernandez and Michael Tanabe qualified for the WPIAL individual championship tournament last season. Both said they hope to make it to states this season.
Vecchi expects Michael Tanabe to be a big factor every time out.
“(Michael Tanabe) has a great head for the game,” Vecchi said. “(He is) someone the younger guys could learn from.”
Vecchi is impressed by all his players.
He said Hoey and Jones improved, and Simakas shows the ability to bounce back from bad shots.
Fernandez, he said, rarely gets in trouble, Frund has toned down his game after wanting to crush every shot and Henry is hungry to prove himself.
The Quakers reached the final of the 2016 WPIAL team tournament, where they placed fourth to Sewickley Academy, McGuffey and South Park.
Michael Tanabe expects a deeper run this season.
“The team has really come together,” he said. “It's evident that a lot of players have really put in work and improved over the summer.
“I believe that we will have a very good chance at winning our section, WPIALs and even states.”
The Quakers were set to square off against Sewickley Academy Wednesday in a section match.
Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.
Tags: Quaker Valley
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