Trib HSSN rewind: A look back at the 2018 boys golf season

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Monday, July 1, 2019 | 12:03 AM


Sewickley Academy has set the standard in WPIAL boys golf.

The Panthers won an unprecedented sixth consecutive district team championship last fall to pace a series of repeat performances in the WPIAL postseason. Dynasties continued on the links.

Turtle Creek had the boys record for consecutive team titles, winning five from 1934-38. That was until Sewickley Academy, led by Landen Shirley’s 76, made it a half-dozen titles in a row at Cedarbrook with another Class AA trophy.

Central Catholic, meantime, made it a WPIAL three-peat with a victory on Class AAA. WPIAL Class AAA individual champion Jimmy Meyers (71) and runner-up Neal Shipley (70) paced the Vikings to a course record-score of 372, breaking the program’s own mark from 2016.

Central carried momentum into the PIAA tournament and captured a state title, shooting a 16-over 300 at Heritage Hills Resort in York.

On the individual side, repeats also were prominent.

Riverside’s Skyler Fox put himself into a position to be the WPIAL’s first four-time champion in boys golf after winning a third straight title.

Fox made a key birdie on hole 16 to shoot 2-under 68 and edge past Elizabeth Forward’s Angus McHolme (69) at Allegheny Country Club. Fox became the first boys golfer since Fox Chapel’s Frank Fuhrer III (1974-76) and third in WPIAL history to take three consecutive titles. The first was Brentwood’s Ron Schwarzel (1952-54).

In Class AAA, Meyers of Central Catholic held off a strong field on a vintage layout — Oakmont Country Club — to take home a title. Meyers shot even-par 70 to finish ahead of Shipley (75) and strong contenders Palmer Jackson of Franklin Regional (75) and Latrobe’s Brady Pevarnik (76).

After claiming medalist honors at the PIAA Western Regional, Jackson went in to win a state championship in York. Jackson is headed to Notre Dame, while Meyers and Pevarnik will play at Penn State.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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