Blue Mountain poses with the Schuylkill League overall and Division I trophies after winning its second straight league title Tuesday at Hidden Valley Golf Course. Team members include, front row, from left: Evan Setlock, Cole Fry, Braeden Welsh and Brayden Boyer; back row, head coach Dr. Richard Eckert, Owen Crossen, Dylan Knittle, Gabe Kamarousky, Delaney Walborn, Josh Lesak and assistant coach John Foster (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

FRIEDENSBURG — Cole Fry only began golfing a little more than a year ago.

He diligently worked at his chipping and putting, putting in countless hours at the school simulator and the driving range at Hidden Valley Golf Course. This season, he decided to come out for the Blue Mountain golf team.

The Eagles are thankful he did.

Tuesday, Fry was able to reap the fruits of his labor in leading Blue Mountain to a second straight Schuylkill League golf team championship.

A senior, Fry and teammate Owen Crossen each carded 6-over-par 78s as the Eagles posted a score of 317 to easily capture the team title. Dylan Knittle (80) and Evan Setlock (81) rounded out the top four as Blue Mountain won by 25 strokes over second-place Schuylkill Haven.

“It feels great to come home with first place,” Fry said. “It feels even better to know that my score counted and that I was part of the reason. Not that we wouldn’t have done it without me here, but it feels great knowing that I helped bring our team to a win.”

Fry credited his uncle, Luke Englert, for getting him started in golf. Once he started, he said he “got addicted to it,” and would visit the driving range at Hidden Valley nearly every day. That was the case this summer, when Fry would often log long afternoons practicing and then playing a round.

“I kind of broke the bank at Hidden Valley from how many buckets I hit,” Fry said. “I hit like a bucket a day, be out there for 30-40 minutes working on my swing, trying to get a feel for it. Then I’ll putt around and chip. Once school started last year, I would go out to the range almost every since day.

“I’m grateful that Hidden Valley has a public green to practice because there’s nowhere close to where I live that can let me get out here and feel like real greens, not turf and stuff like that.”

Blue Mountain coach Dr. Richard Eckert said he first saw the lefty-hitting Fry play in 2024 in a group in front of him at White Birch Golf Course and was impressed. He said when Fry decided to come out for the golf team, they worked with him in the simulator.

“He’s been amazing,” Eckert said. “He was shooting like 100, now he’s shooting in the 70s. That’s what people can do if they work at it.”

Starting on hole No. 3 for Tuesday’s team tournament, Fry’s round got an early boost when he eagled the par-5 No. 5. After four straight bogeys, he covered the back nine in 1-over 37, scoring birdies on the par-5 No. 13 and the par-4 No. 15.

Fry was fifth at Monday’s Schuylkill League Golf Individual Championships at Schuylkill Country Club, shooting a 79 and earning a berth in the District 11 Championships on Sept. 30, at the Steel Club in Hellertown.

A tricky wind made Tuesday’s round a little more difficult, Fry said, but the 17-year-old Orwigsburg resident said his practice at Hidden Valley paid off. Overall, his performance Tuesday featured an eagle, two birdies, five pars and 10 bogeys … with no double-bogeys.

“I was very windy and it was hard to control the ball for shots in toward the green,” Fry said. “I didn’t play too solid on the front, but I did chip in for eagle on No. 5. On the back, I only shot 1-over, so that was pretty good. Overall, solid round.”

Fry was the No. 3 golfer in Blue Mountain’s lineup, with Knittle at No. 1, Crossen at No. 2 and Setlock at No. 5. No. 4 Josh Lesak and No. 6 Delaney Walborn each carded an 85 as the Eagles showed off their depth in having all six golfers shoot in the 80s.

Knittle also had an eagle on the par-4 No. 7 and three birdies. Crossen had three birdies and Setlock and Walborn each had two. As a group, Blue Mountain compiled two eagles and 12 birdies with only 10 double-bogeys and five triple-bogeys.

“They’ve been consistent all year. Probably the deepest squad I’ve ever had,” Eckert said. “We had nine starters this year, we played them all and they all came through. We tried to rely on different people every day and they played well.

“We had senior leadership … we had juniors come through. We’ve been very deep all year. That’s what got us through.”

Schuylkill Haven edged Nativity 342-344 for second place, earning the Division II crown as well. The Hurricanes and Green Wave tied for the Division II title in the regular season with 11-1 records and Tuesday’s league meet served as the tiebreaker.

Alan Evans led Haven with the best round of the day by any golfer, posting a 4-over 76. The junior eagled the par-4 No. 10 and had two birdies in his round, with no double-bogeys. Eli Barton carded an 82, Chase Maley shot 91 and Daniel Fanelli had a 93 to round out the Hurricanes’ top four.

Trey Keating shot a 79 to lead Nativity. Maxum DiRenzo’s 86 paced Pottsville.

As league champion, Blue Mountain clinches a spot in the District 11 Class 3A Team Championships, which will be held as part of the District 11 Tournament on Sept. 30 at the Steel Club. Schuylkill Haven and Nativity will compete in the Class AA field.

Schuylkill League Golf Team Championships

At Hidden Valley Golf Course (par 72)

Tuesday’s results

BLUE MOUNTAIN (317) — Cole Fry 78, Owen Crossen 78, Dylan Knittle 80, Evan Setlock 81

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (342) — Alan Evans 76, Eli Barton 82, Chase Maley 91, Daniel Fanelli 93

NATIVITY (344) — Trey Keating 79, Stephen Karinch 86, Andy Smith 87, Bo McDonald/Ryan Grabowski 92

POTTSVILLE (361) — Maxum DiRenzo 86, Adam Klinger 89, Grady Leskin 91, Brody Kline 95

Schuylkill League Team Champions

2025 — Blue Mountain

2024 — Blue Mountain

2023 — Schuylkill Haven

2022 — North Schuylkill

2021 — Lehighton

2020 — Lehighton

2019 — Blue Mountain

2018 — Blue Mountain

2017 — Lourdes

2016 — Marian

2015 — Blue Mountain

2014 — Pottsville

2013 — Blue Mountain

2012 — Marian

1997-2011 — Blue Mountain