Up and down year for Kiski Area boys golf ends just short of team playoffs

By: Ted Sarneso
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 | 4:08 PM

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The Kiski Area boys golf team had high hopes coming into this season.

Last year, the Cavaliers had a 10-6 overall record, went 8-4 in Section 4-3A and finished tied for third in the section, missing the playoffs by one win.

They joined Section 1-3A this year and finished 10-6 again, went 9-3 in the section and experienced déjà vu as they missed the playoffs again by one match.

“There were a couple of evenly matched teams where the matches could have gone either way,” coach John Guzzie said.

What cost Kiski in the eyes of Guzzie were a pair of losses against Indiana.

On Aug. 28, the Cavaliers traveled to Indiana and lost 191-193. In the rematch at their home course at Willowbrook, Kiski tied the Indians, 201-201, and lost on the playoff hole.

“Those were the difference-makers,” said Guzzie. “In that second match, we needed a win to get in the playoffs.”

“What made it tough for me as a coach was I had a group of boys that had been with me for four years, and I watched them grow and work hard. I would have liked to have seen them get a shot at the playoffs.”

Individually, Kiski had four golfers play well in the Class 3A sectionals and qualified for the WPIAL championship first round.

At Birdsfoot Golf Club in Buffalo Township, junior Max Mottura shot 67 and finished as co-champion. Seniors Caden Witt and Trey Roberts shot 74 and 77, respectively, and freshman Brady Jankowski shot 78.

“That crew of guys worked hard all summer,” said Guzzie. “They played in tournaments like Isaly’s, the Hurricane tour and played in a few AJGA events. They came into the year understanding what it takes to compete.”

In the WPIALs on Sept. 24 at Southpointe, the quartet fell short of the cut.

“You have to plot your way around that course and know your distances off the tee,” Guzzie said. “It felt like they had a solid game plan, they knew when to be patient and when to attack. They just had a few bad misses, and you can take a 10 if you get out of position.”

However, plenty went well for the Cavaliers this season, and a bright future awaits.

It started with a 193-207 win over section champ Latrobe at home Sept. 6, as well as a victory in the Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association championship for the first time in 20 years.

The WCCAs were held at the Latrobe Elks, and Mottura shot 3-under 69 to earn co-medalist honors.

“Max is one of the best golfers in the section and, arguably, the best in the WPIAL,” said Guzzie. “This year was a breakthrough year for him. He played a lot of brilliant rounds and shot a 33 at our home course.”

Roberts placed eighth with a 3-over 75, and Witt and Jankowski finished 23rd and 24th respectively, shooting 79s.

“Witt shot a 37 average this year and is just a wonderful all-around kid,” said Guzzie. “He was a medalist in a lot of our matches and kept us in others. Roberts came up big for us in spots, and Jankowski kept us in matches from the back of the lineup and shot a few 38s to put us in good positions.”

What made the WCCA win even sweeter was Kiski beat second-place Latrobe by seven strokes for its second victory over the Wildcats in a week.

A week later, the Cavaliers recorded their best score of the year in a 190-208 win over Penn-Trafford at home Sept. 18.

Other players who helped contribute to Kiski’s success were seniors Dylan Matenkosky, Justin Gross and Dimitri Spanola.

“Those guys have been with me from the start,” Guzzie said. “Spagnola is a baseball player at heart, and I knew he would get off to a slow start. But once he spent more time on the course, his numbers really dropped. They all had great matches for us.”

Moving forward, Guzzie is excited for next year with Mottura and Jankowski as two strong anchors.

Joining them will be a group of young players from the junior varsity team.

Junior Grayson King, sophomores Owen Konieczny and Zach Hald, along with freshmen Tytan Logero and Gabe Thimons will all look to play significant roles.

“Konieczny will be a big part of our program next year,” said Guzzie. “He’s got a lot of talent and shot some really nice scores. Logero is another guy with a baseball background and has made a lot of progress. Thimons has a great attitude, and King played very well on JV and I hope he keeps it going on varsity.”

The Cavaliers hope to duplicate their individual results from the last two years and finally get the team to the playoffs.

“The young guys will need to put in the work,” Guzzie said. “If they do, we can continue this high standard of golf we’ve set.”

Tags: Kiski Area