Having split two matches in the regular season, and having topped their respective CNY Counties League divisions, it only figured that Fayetteville-Manlius and Baldwinsville would end up right next to each other last Wednesday with the Section III Class AA boys golf championship on the line.
But by having five golfers break 80 amid tough conditions at the Links at Sunset Ridge, the Hornets did just enough to edge the Bees and earn the sectional crown, just as Christian Brothers Academy was reclaiming fall season small-school honors from Chittenango, who won that same title a year ago.
F-M finished with a total of 389, just ahead of B’ville’s total of 391. Only West Genesee, with a third-place score of 395, got close to the Hornets and Bees for team honors.
As they teed off Wednesday morning at Sunset Ridge, the field of more than 120 sectional golfers was greeted by the same warm weather that had marked the latter stages of the regular season.
Only this time, it included a wind gusting past 20 miles per hour, and that fact, combined with the speed of the greens, assured that no one was going to go low on this day.
Still, four players managed to shoot 75 to share individual honors. They included F-M’s Dan Thomas, who matched the totals posted by B’ville teammates Christian Nizamis and James Pelcher, plus West Genesee’s Stuart Winn. All of them finished one shot better than Winn’s Wildcat teamamte, Sean Stanistreet.
As for the team contest, the Hornets used its consistency across the board to finish on top. Mike Lee and Nick Santoro both finished with rounds of 78, while Ryan Keller and Kyle Gilroy had matching totals of 79. B’ville had Matt Monaco shoot 78 and Paul Pitcher post a 79, but the 84 by Griffin Bruce meant that the Bees would finish two shots behind.
The entire F-M front five advanced to next May’s state qualifying tournament at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks course, as did two other Hornets – Andrew Massa, who shot an 81, and Sean Brown, who managed an 82.
Moving to the small-school sectional tournament, CBA was bent on stopping Chittenango, not just for what happened in the 2012 finals at Foxfire, but also for a Sept. 24 regular-season defeat to the Bears that ended the Brothers’ 63-match league win streak.
Drew Derrenbacker led the Brothers as he shot a 78, with Jack Bellardini close behind, posting a 79. Steve Fournier and Webb Little both finished with rounds of 85 as Sam Little, with an 87, closed out the scoring column and William Ierlan posted an 89.
That proved enough to beat Chittenango, who was led by Mike McIntosh’s round of 81. Kyler Christopher shot an 84 for the Bears, with Erik Russell and Conor Delaney each posting an 85 and Ryan Delaney managing an 89.
F-M came into the tournament with some momentum after going to Highland Golf Course last Monday and putting together a 188-192 victory over Auburn.
Lee shot a 35, edging out the Maroons’ Jon Brown for individual honors. Gilroy posted a 37 to match Auburn’s Mike May, but F-M’s depth would win out as Thomas put up a 38, with Nick Santoro and Jimmy Barnes each finishing at 39.
CBA warmed up with a 216-239 victory over Phoenix last Monday at Beaver Meadows. Again, Bellardini, shooting a 37, and Derrenbacker, shooting a 38, led the way as Ierlan had a 45 and Sam Little added a 47. Steve Fournier managed a 49.
