Schuylkill Golf: Teams chasing Blue Mountain, Nativity so far
Nativity's Trey Keating lines up his drive during the Schuylkill County Junior Golf Tournament at Schuylkill Country Club (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
High school golf is a unique sport.
Although you can play golf essentially year-round, depending on the weather, the Schuylkill League golf regular season is condensed into a six-week span from early August to mid-September.
As students prepare to return to school for classes later this week and next Monday, the golfers will hit the midway part of their season Wednesday in Division I and Thursday in Division II.
As we enter play today, Panther Valley has already played seven matches (including tri-meets), while Pine Grove has six and Blue Mountain, Nativity and Minersville have five in the books.
Before we know it, the season will be over.
So let’s take a moment to analyze the two division races, highlight a few of the league’s top performers and provide a capsule look at the league’s 13 teams.
Teams chasing Blue Mountain and Nativity
Blue Mountain and Nativity have been the cream of the crop in the Schuylkill League through the first two weeks.
The Eagles, who captured their first Schuylkill League championship since 2019 a year ago, are off to a 5-0 overall start with the deepest roster in the league.
Schuylkill County Junior Golf champion Josh Lesak (80.0 average) and senior Evan Setlock (a pair of 76s so far) lead a squad that has seen eight different players score among the top four in the Eagles’ four outings.
Pottsville is also unbeaten at 2-0 … the Crimson Tide face the Eagles on Tuesday at the Schuylkill Country Club, while Lourdes is 2-1 and Tamaqua 2-2. Blue Mountain has already defeated both Lourdes and Tamaqua.
In Division II, Nativity is off to a 5-0 league start that includes victories over two-time defending division champion Schuylkill Haven (331-336) and Marian (323-335).
Due to scheduling conflicts, the Hurricanes have only played one match, while Marian is 3-1. All three teams square off today in a tri-meet at the Schuylkill Country Club. We will know a lot more about the Division II race after today’s league slate.
Talent abounds
The Schuylkill League features a bevy of championship-level golfers.
Schuylkill Haven’s Alan Evans is the defending boys’ champion. Now a junior, Evans was ninth at the PIAA Championships a year ago. He shot a 72 at the Schuylkill Country Club in his only round of the season so far.
North Schuylkill’s Jude Maziekas was also a state qualifier a year ago and features a 74.25 average through four outings so far. He also posts the league’s lowest score so far, a 67 at White Birch Golf Course in the Spartans’ win over Panther Valley.
Nativity’s Trey Keating has shot five straight rounds in the 70s, averaging 75.4 through the Hilltoppers’ first five matches. Teammate Stephen Karinch has been his tag-team partner, averaging 83.0 so far.
The league’s newest star is Tamaqua’s Sam Vinc, who has extensive experience competing in national tournaments as a youth. Vinc has shot a pair of 75s and a pair of 76s in the Blue Raiders’ four outings so far, averaging 75.5.
Pottsville’s Maxum DiRenzo rounds out the league’s upper echelon. A District 11 Class 3A qualifier a year ago, DiRenzo has shot an 84 and an 80 in the Tide’s two contests so far.
On the girls’ side, the top three golfers from last year return. Blue Mountain’s Delaney Walborn is the two-time defending league champion and is averaging 87.25 so far in four competitions.
Lourdes’ Vivian Reiprish (88.3) has won the last two Schuylkill County Junior Golf crowns, while Minersville’s Emma Troutman (85.25) was third at the junior tournament and fifth at districts a year ago.
Important Dates
The Schuylkill League Individual Golf Championships will be held Monday, Sept. 15, at Schuylkill Country Club, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The Schuylkill League Team Championships will be held the following day, Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Hidden Valley Golf Course, with tee times starting at 2 p.m.
The top two teams in each division qualify for the league team championships.
The District 11 Qualifying Tournament is set for Monday, Sept. 22, at Northampton Country Club. The District 11 Golf Championships are slated for Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Steel Club, Bethlehem.
Last season, Evans, Schuylkill Haven’s Talan Spittler and Maziekas finished 4-5-6 at districts to qualify for the PIAA Tournament. Blue Mountain was fourth in the District 11 Class 3A Team Tournament, while Schuylkill Haven was second and Nativity fourth in the District 11 Class AA Team Tournament.
