Long before the 2022 high school golf season got under way, Phoenixville girls coach Sandy Waltz, a member of the Waltz family that owns and operates Turtle Creek Golf Course, knew that with the addition of freshman Kayley Roberts to a lineup that included Kayley’s big sister, Kate Roberts, a junior, the Phantoms would be a team to be reckoned with.
It was the work ethic of the Roberts sisters that set them apart, Waltz said. Having players who aren’t afraid to put the work in has a way of making their coach look pretty smart.
Wednesday at a chilly White Course at Penn State, Phoenixville, behind Team Roberts, concluded a magical postseason by capturing the PIAA Class AAA team crown.
This on the heels of the Phantoms’ first District One Class AAA team crown at Turtle Creek last week. This on the heels of Kayley Roberts’ runnerup finish in the PIAA Class AAA individual standings and a ninth-place finish for Kate Roberts in her second straight appearance in the state tournament.
They both knew they had to go low with three scores counting toward the team total. And Kayley and Kate both responded with a 2-over-par 74. Saw some still photos from Penn State in the aftermath of Wednesday’s team competition and the cold-weather gear was very much in evidence. It was cold up there.
And Mackenzie Thompson, as she had in helping the Phantoms capture the District One team crown, came up huge, grinding out a 92 that gave Phoenixville a 24-over 240 total that was two shots clear of Pittsburgh area power Peters Township.
The Roberts sisters had prepared for the scholastic season by playing a lot of tournament golf during the summer, particularly on the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour. Kayley Roberts capped her summer season with a victory in the Philly Junior Tour Championship in August at Chester Valley Golf Club.
Phoenixville had edged Pioneer Athletic Conference champion Spring-Ford by a shot in winning the district crown at Turtle Creek. In the postseason only three scores counted and the superior depth that had given the Rams the edge in the regular season wasn’t as much of a factor at districts. Hey, Phoenixville didn’t make the rules, it just played golf.
There was some talk at Turtle Creek that Spring-Ford’s runnerup finish might get it a wild card to the PIAA Championship, but it didn’t happen. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Pioneer Athletic Conference had the two best teams in Pennsylvania when it came to girls golf this fall.
Another western Pennsylvania team, North Allegheny, finished nine shots behind Peters Township in third place with a 251 total. It was another 26 shots back to Erie’s McDowell High School in fourth place with a 277 total.
North Pocono was a shot behind McDowell in fifth place with a 289 total. Rounding out the girls Class AAA field was District Three’s Cumberland Valley, which finished in sixth place with a 289 total.
District One’s representative in the Class AAA boys competition, Downingtown West, finished in third place with a 20-over 308 total. The results seemed to indicate that the Class AAA boys also played the White Course, although a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report on the team competition said the tournament was on the Blue Course.
Not sure the Whippets were going to be able to deny Pittsburgh Central Catholic the PIAA Class AAA crown no matter what they did. The Vikings, behind standout senior Rocco Salvitti, put together an 11-over 299 total to win their third state title in the last seven years.
Salvitti, who was the runnerup in the Class AAA boys individual championship, carded a sparkling 4-under 68 to lead the way for Pittsburgh Central Catholic. Senior Connor Walker, who finished in a tie for sixth place in the individual competition, added a 2-over 74.
Daniel Donohue contributed a 77 to the cause for the Vikings and Aidan Burchianti accounted for their final counter with an 80. A team’s top four scorers are counted in the boys competition.
Dallastown, of District Three, finished six shots behind Pittsburgh Central Catholic in second place with a 305 total. Downingtown West was another three shots behind Dallastown in third place at 308.
Downingtown West was led by junior Nick Gross, who capped a spectacular summer of golf by reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. Nick Gross, coming off a remarkable nine-shot victory in last week’s District One Class AAA Championship, carded a 3-under 69 in Wednesday’s team competition.
It was a bit of disappointing few days at Penn State for Nick Gross, although finishing in third place in the individual tournament and helping Downingtown West take third in the team competition would be considered a couple of nice accomplishments for a normal high school junior.
Backing up Nick Gross for Downingtown West was senior Brady Manning, who posted a solid 3-over 75.
Brett Bergey added an 80 for the Whippets and Downingtown West coach Rob Coyne (and Nick Gross’ capable looper in the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood) could take his pick from the 84s registered by Steve Wogram and Nick Gross’ younger brother Evan Gross to account for his team’s final counter.
Catholic League and District 12 champion La Salle was another three shots behind Downingtown West in fourth place with a 311 total.
John Stevenson led the way for the Explorers with a 3-over 75. Joe Halferty backed up Stevenson with a 78.
Senior Tyler Leyden, who finished in a tie for 10th place in the Class AAA individual championship, and Kevin Lafond rounded out the scoring for La Salle, each signing for a 79.
La Salle was able to toss junior Ethan Martin’s 80. Martin was prominent on Philly Junior Tour leaderboards all summer, including a victory in the Tour Championship at Chester Valley.
District Six’s State College, playing close to home, finished a shot behind La Salle in fifth place with a 312 total. Crestwood rounded out the Class AAA field, ending up in sixth place with a 326 total.
Devon Prep, representing the Catholic League and District 12, saw its bid to repeat as the PIAA Class AA champion denied by an outstanding performance by Lake Lehman at the Blue Course.
Lake Lehman, getting a pair of 1-over 73s from Michael Lugiano and Eli Ropietski, put together a solid 8-over 296 total.
Eli Ropietski’s younger brother Cael Ropietski was just a shot behind his teammates with a solid 2-over 74. The final counter for Lake Lehman was a 76 from Charlie Weidner.
It capped a pretty strong three days at Penn State for the Lake Lehman contingent as it had three players finish in the top eight in the Class AA individual competition, Lugiano landing in third place, Cael Ropietski ending up in a tie for sixth and Eli Ropietski taking eighth.
Jon Curran matched par with a 72 to lead the way for Devon Prep, which finished 12 shots behind Lake Lehman in second with a 20-over 308 total.
Devon Prep’s newly-minted Class AA individual state champion Nick Ciocca backed up Curran with a solid 1-over 73.
Kidder Urban added an 81 for Devon Prep and P.J. Duffy was its final counter with an 82. Devon Prep was able to toss an 87 posted by Jack Dante.
Sewickley Academy was another 14 shots behind Devon Prep in third place with a 322 total, West Shamokin took fourth with a 327 total, Delone Catholic was fifth at 333 and Lakeview rounded out the Class AA competition by ending up sixth at 343.
There was one repeat team champion at Penn State as Hickory, out of District 10, won its second straight PIAA Class AA girls crown with a solid 20-over 236 total at the Blue Course.
Hickory was led by Sasha Petrochko and Luciana Masters, each of whom carded a 6-over 78. Petrochko had finished in third place in the Class AA individual competition.
Ava Liburdi recorded a solid 80 to round out the scoring for Hickory.
Mercyhurst Prep was a distant 28 shots behind Hickory in second place with a 264 total. Scranton Prep was another four shots behind Mercyhurst Prep in third place with a 268 total.
Greensburg Central Catholic took fourth place with a 285 total, Penn Cambria was fifth at 305 and Mt. Pleasant rounded out the Class AA field as it took sixth with a 326 total.
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