ONONDAGA COUNTY – For many moments on the last day of August, it appeared the Baldwinsville Red boys golf team’s 16-match win streak would end at the hands – and clubs – of Cicero-North Syracuse Blue.
However, the Bees did just enough to pull out a 204-205 decision over the Northstars and move to 4-0 on the season.
Indiviudally, Owen Frechette’s nine-hole score of 38 tied C-NS Blue’s Drew Kippen’s 38 for top honors. Two of the next three spots went to the Bees, though, as Aiden Motala was third with a 40 and Billy Shipman’s 41 matched that of the Northstars’Quinn Empey’s 41.
Though Kaeden Hacker, David Schmidt and Andrew Matyasak each shot 42 to close out the C-NS scoring grid, so did B’ville’s Jacob Penafeather, and needing a 43 to win, the Bees got exactly that score from Caleb Kinley to hang on.
As was the case in years past, B’ville boys golf led the parade of fall sports teams and got its 2023 season underway late last week – but with a new twist.
For the first time, the Bees are fielding two varsity teams, with the top players on a “Red” team and a second group of golfers forming a “White” team.
In the Aug. 24 season opener at Greens at Beaumont, B’ville Red met C-NS’s younger Green squad and rolled to a 190-245 victory to make it 14 in a row.
Motala and Shipman both broke par for nine holes, Motala posting a 34 and Shipman a 35 as Alex Blum got a 39, Penafeather had a 40 and Alex Trasher added a 42.
Meanwhile, the debut for B’ville White came against C-NS Blue, with this group of Bees falling 196-252 to that group of Northstars. Brayden Sheridan’s 47 led the visitors. Dominic Purtell got a 49, with Dominic DeRito, Alex Zuccaro and Crag Vredenburg each posting 52 as Kippen (36) and Hacker (38) led C-NS Blue.
B’ville Red went to 2-0 on Aug. 25 by beating Fayetteville-Manlius White 201-230 in its home opener at Timber Banks, led by Motala, who put together a three-under-par 33.
No one else was close to that number, with Shipman and Trasher each shooting 41 to share second place. Penafeather was fourth with a 42 and Kinley’s 44 equaled those of F-M White’s Aiden Curran and Gavin Balinfy.
Hosting Liverpool last Wednesday, the Bees won 190-202 over the Warriors, with two different golfers at the forefront.
Alex Blum’s career-best 36 beat out Frechette’s 37 for individual honors. Motala, with a 38, equaled Liverpool’s low round by Brady Michaud, with Trasher’s 39 equaling Owen Salanger and a 40 from Penafeather to match what Dom Osbeck and Owen Michaud shot for the Warriors.
That same day, B’ville White went to Green Lakes and lost, 207-242, to F-M’s older Green squad, with Sheridan’s 44 the low round among Bees golfers. Vredenburg shot a 46, with Dominic Purtell’s 50 just ahead of 51s by Cole Parker and Dominic DeRito. F-M Green got a 39 from Duncan McDaniel, a 40 from Tyler Burns and 41 from Will Kettell.
Then, meeting F-M White on Wednesday afternoon at Woodcrest Golf Club, B’ville White fell 213-235, though Purtell managed a 41 to tie the Hornets’ Grant Rhyde for individual honors. Vredenburg shot a 44, while Trevor Miller stepped up with a 48 ahead of Sheridan’s 50.
