WPIAL golf notes: Changes made to girls team tournament format

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | 5:39 PM

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The WPIAL golf committee moved one of its postseason tournaments to a new venue.

The girls Class AAA and AA team tournaments will now be played Monday at Connoquenessing Country Club in Ellwood City.

Normally, the girls and boys finals are played at the same site in mid-October at Cedarbrook Golf Course near Belle Vernon. But the WPIAL committee thought it made more sense to eliminate the Class AAA semifinal round for the girls to not only avoid an overlap of opponents but also to reduce the number of people who gather at the finals to better suit covid-19 guidelines.

Last year, nine teams made the Class AAA semifinals and the top four advanced. Those teams then faced the same opponents again.

A large crowd often packs a back dining area inside the Cedarbrook clubhouse where the WPIAL handles scoring, posts leaderboards and hands out trophies.

And, the tournaments take up both of the club’s courses, Gold and Red, so 18 holes will now be open for regular play the day of the boys finals, set for Oct. 15 on Cedarbrook Gold.

The same number of girls Class AAA teams will qualify this year for the finals as they did the semifinals — the top two and ties — in each of four sections.

The Class AA girls, which play in only two sections, do not have a semifinal round. The top two teams in each section make the finals.

The girls AAA semifinals may return next year.

Sewickley loses

Something big happened in WPIAL boys golf this season. The Sewickley Academy boys lost — twice.

Quaker Valley swept the season series from the perennial power by scores of 200-201 and 193-208.

Why is it newsworthy?

Because Sewickley Academy had not dropped a section match since 2010. The Panthers have won seven consecutive WPIAL titles but appear to have at least one challenger this fall.

“Losing now is a good reminder to this team that a lot of hard work is ahead for them if they want to accomplish their goals,” Panthers coach Win Palmer said.

Double duty II

Belle Vernon has a dual-sport athlete in junior Tyler Mocello and he is making the most of both seasons.

A starting defender on the undefeated boys soccer team (7-0), Mocello also has qualified for the WPIAL Class 3A individual golf championship set for Tuesday at South Hills Country Club.

He shot 77 to take second at the Section 2 tournament and tied for fifth with a 73 at the semifinal tournament played at Hannastown Golf Club.

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

Tags: Belle Vernon, Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy