Nearly a full year since they last saw competition, area high school boys golf teams led all the other Section III athletes into a fall sports season altered and reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
No individual did it as well as Skaneateles standout Tynan Jones, who in 2019 was the individual champion at the sectional small-school fall tournament with a blistering 67 at Rogues Roost’s West Course.
Opening its season at Cazenovia Country Club, Jones led his Lakers to a sweep of a three-team match last Monday against Christian Brothers Academy and Cazenovia.
Over nine holes, Jones posted a 35, which allowed him to set a school record for consecutive rounds under 40. He was four shots ahead of Cazenovia’s Cody Dickinson.
To help Jones out as Skaneateles shot 206 to Cazenovia’s 211 and CBA’s 219, Tyson DiRubbo and Shawn Luce each shot 40, while Charlie Major put up a 45. Drew Henderson had a 46 and Luke Renaud shot 56.
Back home at Skaneateles Country Club on Thursday, the Lakers held off Homer 218-224, with Jones earning a 38 to beat the Trojans’ Mitch Riter (40) by two strokes.
DiRubbo earned a 42, while Henderson (45), Major (46), Luce and Ken Byrne (47 each) provided the depth.
As that went on, Westhill, seeking to regain its 2018 championship form, claimed its season opener 201-218 over Mexico at Emerald Crest.
Devin Young blazed to a 35, ahead of Anthony Maglisco’s 38. Though the Tigers’ Ryan Mosher also shot 38, Luke Gilmartin (42), Aidan Ryan and Michael Britt (43) helped the Warriors get away.
On Thursday at Vesper Hills, Westhill, with a 201, swept Tully (216) and Chittenango (245), Maglisco’s 37 edging the Black Knights’ Will Hardy (38) for first among individuals. Britt, with a 39, topped Young’s 41, along with a 42 from Gilmartin and a 44 from Ryan.
Then Skaneateles had its own turn with Chittenango and won 200-257 on Friday to improve to 4-0, with Luce earning a 37 to Jones’ 38, plus Major shooting 42 and DiRubbo adding a 45.
Westhill made it back-to-back wins last Wednesday by toppling Jordan-Elbridge 210-253 at Camillus Hills, this time with Maglisco at the forefront thanks to a 37.
Britt improved to a 41 and Ryan moved to a 42, tying the Eagles’ Jeremy Melli. Gilmartin shot a 44 and Young had a 46 as J-E’s Colin Jewsbury finished with a 46.
Before this, J-E traveled to Emerald Crest on Sept. 25, facing Mexico and falling 213-242 to the Tigers.
Melli shot a 40, putting him third behind the Mexico duo of Lyle Trimble (37) and Ryan Mosher (38). Jewsbury finished with a 47, with Ben Weller (50) just ahead of Jacob Lawless (52) and Wade Brunelle (53).
Back at Millstone last Monday for its home opener, J-E routed Phoenix 218-309, sweeping the top five individual spots.
Melli had a 36, three strokes better than Jewsbury’s 39. Weller and Lawless tied for third place at 47 as Caleb DeCola stepped up with a 49.
In J-E’s 188-218 loss to CBA on Thursday at Millstone, Melli had a 36, only one behind the Brothers’ Joe Nicholson. Weller and Jewsbury both shot 44, ahead of a 46 from Lawless.
West Genesee will have two teams play varsity matches this fall, with a Blue side composed of younger players joining the older roster of players that make up WG Gold.
Not debuting until last Thursday, WG Gold won over Fayetteville-Manilus White 205-223, with Peyton Mullane earning a 36 at Woodcrest, five shots clear of Ryan Till’s 41.
Connor Christie had a 42 matched by F-M White’s August Larson, but helped by 43s from Liam O’Connor, Ryan McLane and Cody Sigourney-Stickel, the Wildcats drew clear.
Opening on Sept. 25 at Westvale, WG Blue lost, 179-210, to Baldwinsville, with Tyler Anastasio shooting a 40, two better than Max DeMass and Jason Clifton as Ben Glass and Anthony Pirro both shot 45.
Then WG Blue faced F-M Green last Wednesday and, in a 187-223 defeat, had Pirro shoot a 42, one ahead of Glass and two ahead of Clifton. DeMass again shot a 45 as the Wildcats then lost on Friday to Cicero-North Syracuse Blue 193-237.
