WPIAL Class AA boys championship preview: Sewickley Academy strong again
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Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | 4:52 PM
WPIAL Class AA boys golf championship
9 a.m. Thursday, Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley
2019 champion: JF Aber, Sewickley Academy
The field: 44 players will compete for the district title. The breakdown by county — Allegheny (20), Lawrence (8), Westmoreland (5), Beaver (4), Butler (2), Washington (2), Greene (2), Fayette (1).
Section champions: Cole Villa, Leechburg (Section 1); Ben Ritenour, Greensburg Central Catholic (Section 2); Kai Carlson, Northgate (Section 3); Matt Lacek, Fort Cherry (Section 4); Tom George, Shenango (Section 5); Tristan Shuman, South Side (Section 6); Brendan Cooley, Serra (Section 7); Kyle Clayton, Jefferson Morgan (Section 8); Navin Rana, Sewickley Academy (Section 9).
Who moves on: (Updated) The top 12 finishers advance to the PIAA tournament Oct. 21-22 at Heritage Hills Resort in York.
Inside the ropes: It is hard to pick against Sewickley Academy when it comes to golf. The Panthers, who have won seven WPIAL team titles in a row, have six players in Thursday’s field. … Panthers senior Navin Rana shot 2-under-par 69 to win the Section 9 tournament at Rolling Acres. Senior Teammate Tim Fitzgerald was second with a 70, and junior Will Duggan was third at 71. … Fitzgerald finished fourth in the AA championship last year with a 74, and Rana was eighth (77). Rana was 12th as a sophomore. … Quaker Valley also has six qualifiers, including junior Adam Tanabe, sophomore Jackson Bould and senior Luke Melisko. The Quakers play in the same section as Sewickley and recently edged the Panthers, 200-201. … Watch Sewickley sophomore Joey Mucci, who played in last year’s WPIAL final and tied for 14th. … Tommy George, a senior from Shenango, finished 12th (80). … Sewickley Academy plays its home matches at Allegheny Country Club. … There are two freshmen in the field: Luke Gronbeck of Eden Christian and Kai Carlson of Northgate. … Leechburg senior Cole Villa is another third-time qualifier to watch. … Aber, who dethroned three-time champion Skyler Fox of Riverside, graduated and joined the team at Division III Wittenberg (Ohio).
Tee times: WPIAL link
Past WPIAL champions:
2019 — Scott Bitar, Fox Chapel (AAA); JF Aber, Sewickley Academy (AA)
2018 — Jimmy Meyers, Central Catholic (AAA); Skyler Fox, Riverside (AA)
2017 — Chris Sabol, Moon (AAA); Skyler Fox, Riverside (AA)
2016 — Gregor Meyer, Fox Chapel (AAA); Skyler Fox, Riverside (AA)
2015 — Hunter Bruce, Peters Township (Class AAA); Jason Li, Sewickley Academy (Class AA)
2014 — Anthony Cordaro, Fox Chapel (Class AAA); Chris Tanabe, Quaker Valley (Class AA)
2013 — Corey Long, South Fayette (Class AAA); Matt Barto, Leechburg (Class AA)
2012 — Brent Rodgers, Central Catholic (Class AAA); Matt Barto, Leechburg (Class AA)
2011 — Zack Taylor, Baldwin (Division I); Brad Thornton, Shenango (Division II)
2010 — Bo Lustig, Belle Vernon (Division I); Max Kaminsky, Serra Catholic (Division II)
2009 — Ben Gjebre, Latrobe
2008 — Adam Stawski, Plum
2007 — Brock Pompeani, Hopewell
2006 — Adam Hofmann, Fox Chapel
2005 — Christian Goetz, Burgettstown
2004 — Mike Van Sickle, Pine-Richland
2003 — Mike Van Sickle, Pine-Richland
2002 — Tim Moynihan, Franklin Regional
2001 — David Vallina, Burgettstown
2000 — David Valllina, Burgettstown
1999 — Scott Chisholm, North Hills
1998 — Nate Speer, Burrell
1997 — Tom Barnhart, Laurel Highlands
1996 — Andy Latowski, Baldwin
1995 — Russ Manski, Central Catholic
1994 — Andy Hay, North Catholic
1993 — Brian Tutich, Greensburg Central Catholic
1992 — Jeff Dickson, Knoch
1991 — Jeff Dickson, Knoch
1990 — Jeff Diehl, Butler
1989 — Kevin Shields, Mt. Lebanon
1988 — Perry DiNardo, Trinity
1987 — George Laskey, Geibel
1986 — Kevin Reisenweaver, Latrobe
1985 — Seth Pevarnik, Greensburg Central Catholic
1984 — Tony Brovety, Bentworth
1983 — Paul Balest, Greensburg Salem
1982 — Greg Klabon, Shenango
1981 — Kurt Beck, Upper St. Clair
1980 — Jim Watterson, Upper St. Clair
1979 — Bob Bradley, Hempfield
1978 — Steve Savor, Jr., Springdale
1977 — Ray Nelson, Ligonier
1976 — Frank Fuhrer III, Fox Chapel
1975 — Frank Fuhrer III, Fox Chapel
1974 — Frank Fuhrer III, Fox Chapel
1973 — Scott Arthur, Moon
1972 — Dennis Osborne, Butler
1971 — Mike Phillips, West Allegheny
1970 — Mike Phillips, West Allegheny
1969 — Rich Foutz, Plum
1968 — Harry Hamilton, West Allegheny (fall season)
1968 — Jim Simons, Knoch (spring season)
1967 — Frank Garella, West Mifflin North
1966 — Sterret Watt, Northwestern
1965 — Rick Hrip, Butler
1964 — Charles Cullison, Baldwin
1963 — Scott Yard, Greensburg
1962 — Jim Lynch, Mt. Lebanon
1961 — Bob O’Block, Plum
1960 — Bob O’Block, Plum
1959 — George Mackanos, Penn Hills
1958 — Fred Maeder, Har-Brack
1957 — Jack Veroncy, Moon
1956 — Wally Samuels, Mt. Lebanon
1955 — Ken O’Gorman, Moon
1954 — Ron Schwarzel, Brentwood
1953 — Ron Schwarzel, Brentwood
1952 — Ron Schwarzel, Brentwood
1951 — Bill Gabel, Ambridge
1950 — Tom Cherok, Penn Hills
1949 — Rich McCarthy, West View
1948 — Bill Thompson, Sharon
1947 — Arnold Palmer, Latrobe
1946 — Arnold Palmer, Latrobe
1945 — Tom Denny, Greensburg Salem
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: Eden Christian, Greensburg C.C., Leechburg, Northgate, Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy, Shenango, Southmoreland
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