CENTRAL NEW YORK – Accustomed to winning at all times, area high school boys golf teams once again established their credentials during the opening stages of the 2023 season.
Jamesville-DeWitt again expected to roll past all of its SCAC Empire division rivals, and did so in the first join league tournament last Monday at Oswego Country Club.
The Red Rams shot 197 to host Oswego’s 206, with East Syracuse Minoa third at 230 as Mitchell Archer shot an under-pr 34 for nine holes, four ahead of the Buccaneers’ Louis Roman.
Jackson Saroney was third with a 39, Sam Ahn getting a 40 and Tate Mullin a 41 as Michael Anthis got a 43. For ESM, Braedon Smith led a 42 as Aaron Reynolds posted 43 and Jacob Gallipeau added 44.
Two days later, on J-D’s home course at Drumlins, they played two separate nine-hole tournaments, and the Rams won them both.
On the front nine, J-D’s 193 beat Oswego’s 200, with Saroney and Archer each shooting 36 for individual honors, Ahn shooting 38 and Tate Mullin adding 39.. ESM Blue was third at 207, with Smith and Logan Welch each posting 37.
Moving to the back nine at Drumlins, J-D tore to a 179 to Oswego’s second-place 195, Saroney blazing to a 32 and Archer third with a 35 as Ahn shot 36 and Mullin contributed 37. Falling to fourth place (217) behind Auburn, ESM Blue still saw Smith shoot 36 to tie for fourth place.
Then J-D made it four in a row Thursday at Highland Golf Course in Auburn. Shooting 193 to runner-up Oswego’s 216, the Rams had a top-three individual sweep, Saroney shooting 35 for nine holes as Ahn and Mullin both posted 37 to tie for second. Tollar and Archer both posted 42.
ESM, with a 240, settled for fourth place behind host Auburn (221) in third, but Smith tied for fifth among individuals with a 40 and Welch added a 45.
Making its season debut last Wednesday, CBA got a key early-season win in the Onondaga High School League when it took out Westhill 195-214.
Jack Gregory’s 35 at Drumlins led all individuals as both he and Luke Snyder (37) easily topped the 41s by the Warriors’ Danny Young and Teddy DeMore, which was equaled by Emmet Kilmartin, Rowen Lynch and Eric Lee.
A 193-252 romp over Cortland followed on Thursday afternoon, with Gregory’s 37 equaled by teammate Dempsey Horan. CBA swept the top six, Snyder getting a 38 ahead of Lee’s 40 and 41s by Kilmartin and Lynch.
Before all this, Fayetteville-Manlius went first, with F-M Green claiming a 205-238 victory over its younger F-M White counterparts in their Aug. 24 opener at Green Lakes.
A close race for individual honors saw Will Kettell’s 40 win out over Hugh Roddy, Duncan McDaniel and Ryder Baldwin, who each posted 41, and Dylan Friedman, who had a 42. On F-M White, Aiden Curran, Gavin Barty and Colin Vredenburgh each shot 47, with Grant Rhyde adding a 48 and Turner Berry adding a 49.
Facing the newly-formed Baldwinsville White team a day later, F-M Green won 207-242, McDaniel improving to a 39 to beat out Tyler Burns’ 40 as Kettell posted 41 and Henry Will got a 42. Friedman finished with a 45.
But at Westvale, F-M Green suffered its first loss on Wednesday, falling 180-189 to West Genesee Blue, this despite McDaniel’s 34 which topped all individuals. Five Wildcats shot between 35 and 37, with only one Hornet, Will, on those same totals as he shot 37.
Meanwhile, F-M White lost 201-230 to B’ville Red at Timber Banks, the Bees earning its 15th win in a row largely on the three-under-par 33 shot by Aiden Motala.
On the Hornets’ side, Aiden Curran and Gavin Balinfy both shot 44, with Grant Rhyde and Luke McGinnis both posting 46 and Turner Berry adding a 50.
F-M White would get into the win column Wednesday, beating B’ville White 213-235 at Woodcrest. Rhyde shot 41 to equal the Bees’ Dominic Purtell, with Chet Baron-Phillips adding a 42. Balinfy and Taden Minichillo both shot 43.
And on Thursday, F-M Green handled Cicero-North Syracuse Green 205-241 at Greens at Beaumont. Kettell led all individuals shooting a 38, with Burns posting 41. Three others – McDaniel, Friedman and Roddy – each shot 42 to tie for third place.
