SYRACUSE – Not content with regular-season glory, the West Genesee Gold boys golf team added to it with a comprehensive performance at Monday’s Section III large-school fall tournament at Drumlins Country Club.
And it wasn’t just a one-team show. West Genesee Blue finished fourth, its best-ever sectional finish, and between the two Wildcats sides 10 golfers advanced to next spring’s sectional state qualifier.
Largely, WG Gold’s season was defined by the three consecutive victories it notched over Fayetteville-Manlius Green to pass them in the regular-season league standings and then add sectional honors.
With five golfers breaking 80 for 18 holes, WG Gold’s total of 388 was a full 21 shots clear of the Hornets’ 409, and included a 1-2 individual finish from Jon Shoults and Jonathan Lape.
Shoults shot three-over-par 75, just enough to beat Shoults’ 76, and three of their teammates – Frank Barbuto, Topher Shoults and Parker Berg – all finished with 79 to share fifth place.
As this was going on, WG Blue was putting up a team total of 424 that wasn’t too far from the third-place 418 posted by Cicero-North Syracuse Blue.
Pat Holzhauer set the pace for this group of Wildcats, as his score of 78 moved him into a tie for third place with C-NS Blue’s Drew Kippen.
Finley Ball and Colin Straub stood out, too, giving WG Blue their own scores of 79 to join Barbuto, Berg and Topher Shoults in that large tie for fifth.
Back on WG Gold’s side, Brayden Carvel finished with an 81. That round, along with an 82 from Andrew Banish, gave the Wildcats two more golfers advancing to the spring.
What’s more, three more Wildcats just missed joining them, Matt Stemkoski shooting an 84 one shot off the cut line as Lincoln Christopher earned an 85 and Max Buranich shot 86. Riley McAloon had an 87 and Alex Dunham posted 96.
