Senior leaders set Shady Side Academy boys golf on right course for big season

By: Jerin Steele
Saturday, October 12, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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It has been a season of success, both individually and as a team, for Shady Side Academy boys golf.

The Bulldogs won a section title, advanced to the WPIAL Class 2A team final and sent two individuals, Landon Mauser and Alex Avi, to states.

For Bulldogs coach David Lieberman, all of those accomplishments were developed through the chemistry within the group, which was led by senior leadership from Mauser, Ryan Frohlich and Kabir Chaudry.

“One of the benefits of being the coach is I get to ride along with them in the van and listen to the conversations,” Lieberman said. “Those three seniors, especially, kept everyone focused before the match. They’d tell them about how to play a course if they played it before or about a certain hole on the course, just giving them some strategy. Yes, I lead them too in that way, but it’s a lot different when it comes from a peer.”

The Bulldogs were scheduled to play in the WPIAL Class 2A team championship at Cedarbrook on Oct. 10 after finishing second at their semifinal Oct. 8. Results from the final were past the deadline for this edition.

Frohlich and Avi each shot 73 to lead the way at the semifinal, which was played at Pleasant Valley Golf Club in Connellsville. Shady Side shot 405 as a team, finishing just behind Quaker Valley’s 398.

“I just wanted to help out my team in any way I could because it’s always been a dream of mine to make it this far in the playoffs in any sport really,” Avi said. “I was the second-to-last tee time to go out, so I really didn’t know what was going on in front of me. I just knew I wanted to put up a good score.”

The Bulldogs qualified for the WPIAL playoffs by winning Section 8-2A. It was the first section title in Lieberman’s three years as the coach, and it came down to the final match to secure it.

Shady Side played Elizabeth Forward in the regular season finale and earned a 193-210 victory. Avi had a team-best 37. Jack Begg and Frolich shot 38, while Mauser and Chaudry shot 40.

“It was a really good feeling for the kids,” Lieberman said about winning the section. “They were all waiting around the ninth green and asking each other what their scores were. I just tried to calm them down and told them to let them focus and finish. That was a really fun and enjoyable experience.”

Avi and Mauser qualified for states individually for the first time.

Frohlich made it to WPIALs and narrowly missed qualifying for states, finishing 21st.

Mauser, who’s committed to play golf at Dickinson College, finished sixth at WPIALs and was in contention for the majority of the final round.

“To make it to states was one of my goals and I was glad I achieved it,” Mauser said. “I’m really excited to see what I can do out at states. Alex and I are going to head up the day before and get a practice round in. Then we’ll be ready to go.”

Avi’s golf season almost came to a halt due to a broken hand sustained at a hockey practice for his travel club. But after his hand healed, he got back on the course and ended up finishing in a tie for 11th at WPIALs

“It really didn’t feel real because I didn’t know if I was going to play,” Avi said. “The broken hand kept me out for a month. I didn’t have the greatest round at Youghiogheny for the first round, but I had a solid round at Sewickley. I was glad I was able to finish in the top 18 and get to states.”

Regardless of how the WPIAL finals finished, Lieberman was proud of the strides the program made this year, and it looks to be set up well for the future.

“All of the kids are very good people,” Lieberman said. “Yes, they’re all great golfers, but what really impressed me was their growth and maturity.”

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

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