Penn Hills’ Lucy Brayton aims for trip to PIAA golf championships

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, August 13, 2022 | 1:39 PM

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Lucy Brayton spent all summer getting ready for another shot at the PIAA Class 3A golf tournament. The Penn Hills senior was fuming after a slow start on the back nine doomed her performance at the WPIAL Class 3A championship at Hannastown Golf Club.

Brayton shot a 8-over par 80 to place 13th, which was just off the target score of 76.

Penn Hills golf coach William Berkshire said he knows Brayton spent all summer looking to fix the holes in her game.

“Her long game is what she wants to work on,” Berkshire said. “She sees that as her biggest weakness in her long game. I think she’s gotten stronger over the winter and summer so I can see the long game improving.”

Brayton is the only female golfer for Penn Hills this season. Berkshire said the boys team will have six players.

Joey Lander and Nick Hepler are two experienced players returning. Edward Bowser and Logan Hendershot picked up the sport last year as freshmen and are ready for a second year.

“We just want to see improvement over last year and score better,” Berkshire said.

The Indians’ boys team will be in Section 4-3A along with Central Catholic, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Plum and Woodland Hills.

New coaches hired

Several Penn Hills varsity teams will have new coaches during the 2022-23 school year. Myron Cook III was hired as the girls soccer coach to replace Ashley DeVito. DeVito stepped down following last season when Penn Hills went 9-8-1 and reached the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs before losing to Mars. The Indians were 44-76-3 during DeVito’s tenure, including four appearances in the WPIAL playoffs. Vincent Williams was also hired as an assistant girls soccer coach. Morgan Bush was hired to become the varsity swimming coach.

Kelly gets look from Pitt

Penn Hills senior Daemar Kelly recently drew interest from the Pitt men’s basketball team while playing on the summer AAU circuit. Kelly has offers from Robert Morris and Radford.

Kelly was a key cog on a Penn Hills team that reached the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals last season. After a disappointing performance in the WPIAL finals, the Indians knocked off two eastern Pennslyvania teams before bowing to New Castle.