Haverford School takes team title in PAISAA Championship; Malvern Prep's Civitella the individual winner

   The Haverford School put the finishing touch on a perfect season by capturing the team title in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) Championship Monday at Gulph Mills Golf Club, the Donald Ross gem in Upper Merion.

   The Fords were a perfect 30-0-0 in the six Inter-Ac League invitationals that comprise the regular season as they captured their second straight league title. Haverford School had won a closely contested Inter-Ac a year ago only to see fourth-place finisher Malvern Prep prevail in the PAISAA Championship at White Manor Country Club.

   Haverford School’s perfect run through the Inter-Ac this fall is a testament to its depth, but the Fords were often challenged in the six league invitationals and they were again Monday.

   The PAISAA Championship has four-man teams with the top three scores counting. Haverford School put together a solid 221 finish, but Malvern Prep, which shared second place in the Inter-Ac this fall with Episcopal Academy, was only three shots behind the Fords with a 224. Episcopal Academy was another four shots behind the Friars in third at 228.

   Just as in the Inter-Ac regular season, when challenged, The Haverford School always had the answer.

   The Fords were led by Sam Walker, who finished tied for second in the individual scoring with a 2-over 72. A.J. Aivazoglou carded a 4-over 74 and Mac Costin was the final counter with a 75. The Fords had the luxury of tossing Peter Garno’s 77.

   Haverford School coach Gui Costin had plenty of players from which to choose for his four-man contingent, including last year’s individual winner David Hurly. But it looks like Gui Costin went right off the point standings from the Inter-Ac’s six regular-season invitationals and chose Walker (fifth in the points standings), Aivazoglou (second), Mac Costin (third) and Garno (seventh).

   The individual winner was Malvern Prep senior Matt Civitella, who carded a 1-over 71 on the challenging 6,640-yard, par-70 Gulph Mills layout. Civitella finished fourth in the Inter-Ac’s regular-season points standings.

   John Updike finished off an outstanding four-year career at Malvern Prep with a 2-over 72 that left him tied with The Haverford School’s Walker for second.

   Senior captain Andrew Curran, so impressive in winning the Bert Linton Memorial Inter-Ac League individual championship last week with a 6-under 66 at Sunnybrook Golf Club, carded an 82. Keller Mulhern, coming off a solid freshman campaign with the Friars, posted an 85 that Malvern Prep tossed.