Peters Township takes third in WPIAL golf championships
When David Kuhn won his first WPIAL title as the Peters Township boys’ golf coach, a friend warned him of the challenge ahead. Winning’s easy, he was told. The hard part is staying on top.
Over 18 seasons, that’s exactly what Kuhn and his Indians have been doing. They have captured six district championships and reached the finals in 13 of the last 15 years, 10 of them in a row.
And, despite graduating four Division I players from the past championship club, the Indians produced another undefeated regular-season record this fall. They finished 18-0 overall. Peters Township has amassed a 54-0 record the past three years.
“It’s a testament to the depth of our lineup and the consistency of our players,” Kuhn said of the winning streak. “Our players work extremely hard and push each other to be the best that they can be. Three straight undefeated seasons is a testament to the tradition that we have and new players stepping in each season and meeting the expectations of the program.”
Expectations are for the Indians to be competitive in championship matches, too.
“Our goal each year is to be competitive at the highest level and to have a chance to win the WPIAL title,” Kuhn added.
In last week’s finals, the Indians, indeed, were competitive. But it took a record performance from Central Catholic and Fox Chapel to dethrone the Indians. The Vikings won the Class AAA team title by one stroke over the Foxes, 378-379. The Indians took third with a 380 score, which was their record-setting pace in 2014.
“You have to give all the credit to Central Catholic and Fox Chapel,” Kuhn said. “To do what we do, you have to give credit to the players and their parents. It’s bittersweet. We’re blessed to have the opportunity but just didn’t do it.”
The Indians didn’t shoot well over the front nine, falling behind by 11 strokes. However, they stormed back to make the match close.
“We didn’t play well in on the front nine,” said Kuhn. “We played acceptable on the back.”
JW Cunningham led the Indians. The senior carded the low score in the match, equaling par at 71 on the Cedarbrook Golf Course.
Hunter Bruce followed with a 73. Michael Bell and Tanner Johnson finished with 77 and 79 respectively while Brian Livolsi and Matt Petrisin managed 80 and 83.
“I’m proud of the kids,” Kuhn said. “People were writing us off because of the players that we had lost but we were in the mix.
“I know they are devastated because our culture is to win. No one wins it every year, including the Steelers and the Patriots. We’re here and we’re a competitive public school in Washington County.”
The Indians are so competitive, Division I programs come courting every season. In fact, Peters Township has produced 28 players, male and female, that have received scholarships to major colleges. Plus, they have only lost 31 matches in 18 years.
Yet none of that propels Peters Township. The Indians are self-motivated.
“We don’t really talk about pressure,” Kuhn said. “Nothing from the outside can drive our players or place tougher demands on them than they place on themselves. They work very hard and want to uphold our great tradition and the goal is to be competitive and win.
“This year was no exception. They embraced the challenge. They wanted to be here (at the championships) and enjoy competing.”
In 2016, Kuhn assures the Indians will return. Once the numbers were posted and the leaderboard revealed Central Catholic as the champion, Kuhn vowed, “We start working on next season tomorrow.”
And that’s really why the Indians remain at or near the top. They don’t quit.
Kness medals
Mia Kness earned medalist honors during the WPIAL Class AAA girls’ team championships. The Peters Township senior carded a 77.
Despite her efforts, the Indians failed to qualify for the PIAA team tournament. The Indians finished third in Class AAA. North Allegheny edged Shady Side Academy, 329-330, for the title.
During the team competition, Peters Township competed without Brooke Hilden. The Indians’ No. 2 ace injured her shoulder and was unable to participate.
Kness, however, represented Peters Township in the PIAA Western Regional at Tom’s Run Golf Course in Blairsville.
“It’s a bummer,” said Kness of the team not qualifying. “We came in missing our No. 2 golfer so we just had to play our game. We had a good round and we’ll be back next year.”
This year, however, contiued for Kness. She shot a 1-under-par 71 and tied Lauren Freyvogel for medalist honors during the Western Regional held Oct. 17. Taylor Waller from Canon-McMillan also earned a spot in the PIAA finals to be held next week at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York. Waller fired a 75 to tie for second place.
In the boys’ Western Regional, Hunter Bruce qualified for states. The Peters Township junior carded a 77.
USC sixth
Upper St. Clair placed sixth in the Class AAA standings during the WPIAL team championships. The Panthers totaled 410 points.
Lou Olsakovsky shot the low score of 78. Jack O’Leary and Jack Steve followed with 82s. Chris Joson (83), Andrew Rocks (85) and Josh Krakoff (90) also competed for the Panthers.
USC advanced to the finals by finishing third in the semifinals. The Panthers managed 382 while Peters Township won the match with a 366.
JW Cunningham topped the leaderboard with a 68 at Indian Run Golf Club in Avella, while Olsakovsky followed with a 69. O’Leary carded a 74 while Steve and Krakoff each shot 79s. Joson finished with an 81.
Other top finishers for the Indians were: Tanner Johnson and Hunter Bruce, both with 72s, Brian Livolsi (75) and Matt Petrisin (79)
Lebo qualifies
Mt. Lebanon finished the regular season at 12-4 overall and 11-1 in Section 6 and qualified for the WPIAL AAA team tournament.
During the WPIAL semifinals, Mt. Lebanon finished sixth with a 411 on the Indian Run Golf Club.
J.T. Nicholas led the Blue Devils, carding a 74. Also participating for Lebo were Sam Bellini, Cory Koval, Wyatt Smith, Ryan Gist and Luke Rolfsen.