Irons leads the way as Germantown Academy sweeps first Inter-Ac invitational of the fall at Bluestone

    Led by junior Will Irons, Germantown Academy opened defense of its Inter-Ac League crown with a victory in the first invitational of the season, hosted by the Patriots on their home course at Bluestone Country Club Tuesday.

   It was at Bluestone last fall where Irons lost in a playoff to Episcopal Academy’s Hunter Stetson for the Bert Linton Inter-Ac individual crown.

   Irons carded a 2-over-par 38, pretty sure that was good enough for co-medalist honors, as Germantown Academy finished with a 200 total.

   Perennial Inter-Ac power Haverford School finished in second place. Don’t have a team total for the Fords. Hey, it’s early in the season.

   Backing up Irons were junior Ajeet Bagga, one of the Inter-Ac’s top performers in the regular season a year ago and who finished in a tie for fourth place in the Bert Linton at Bluestone last fall, and freshman Lucas Albert, both of whom recorded a 4-over 40.

   Senior Charley Ota and sophomore Kiran Bagga, Ajeet’s younger sister, accounted for GA’s last two counters as each registered a 5-over 41.

   Malvern Prep took third place with a 206 total as senior Will Aprahamian and freshman Davis Conaway were among the individual co-medalists, each signing for a 2-over 38.

   Don’t be fooled by that freshman status for Conaway. The kid was one of Malvern Prep’s top players as an eighth-grader a year ago and was part of the group who finished in a tie for fourth place in the Bert Linton at Bluestone.

   Backing up Aprahamian and Conaway for the Friars were junior Marshall Kain and sophomore Michael Henry, both of whom carded a 43.

   Junior Shane Powelson and freshman Thomas Ploszay each registered a 44, so take your pick for which player accounted for Malvern Prep’s final counter.

   Penn Charter finished in fourth place and Episcopal Academy took fifth with a 215 total.

   The Churchmen were led by Stetson and Jack Yearley, both juniors, as each recorded a 4-over 40. Stetson capped his sophomore season by defeating GA’s Irons in a playoff last fall at Bluestone to claim the Inter-Ac’s individual crown in the Bert Linton and Yearley was just a shot out of the playoff that day, finishing in third place.

   Springside Chestnut Hill Academy finished in sixth place in the first Inter-Ac invitational of the season.