LEHIGHTON — Mahanoy Area has been one the top golf programs in the Schuylkill League the past two years.
The Golden Bears took another step further Monday, as Nick Scicchitano, Colin Casserly and Trey Macieunas combined to help make program history.
Scicchitano shot an 85, Casserly carded an 86 and Macieunas had a 92 as all three golfers qualified for districts in Class AA during Monday’s District 11 Golf Qualifier at Mahoning Valley Country Club.
It’s the most golfers Mahanoy Area has qualified for districts in a single season. Prior to Monday, the Golden Bears had only three total golfers in the history of the program ever make it to districts.
“I think it is pretty awesome,” Casserly said. “It was something we talked about doing coming down here today.”
Those three join Pine Grove’s Luke Reiter (86), Marian’s Albert McFadden (90), Tamaqua’s Carson Schoener (90), North Schuylkill’s Hunter Mickatavage (92) and Nativity’s Michael Wollyung (95) as area qualifiers in Class AA. Blue Mountain’s Bailey Sophy (85) was the only local golfer to advance in Class AAA.
The Class AA cut score was 95 as 18 golfers qualified. The Class AAA cut score was 85, with 22 golfers making it to the next round.
The District 11 Championships in Class AA and AAA for boys, girls and teams is scheduled for next Monday at Shawnee Inn and Country Club, Shawnee on Delaware.
Schuylkill League squads competing in the team competition are Mahanoy Area, Marian and North Schuylkill in Class AA and league champion Pottsville in Class AAA.
Mahanoy Area has gone 21-3 overall the past two years, winning two Schuylkill League Division II titles. The Golden Bears were second at the league meet in 2013 and third last Wednesday.
All three Golden Bears were already going to districts as part of the team tournament after Mahanoy Area finished second in the District 11 Class AA power rankings. Now, they are going as individuals, too.
“I am proud of both of them,” said Scicchitano said of Casserly and Macieunas.
It was the second consecutive year Scicchitano, a senior, has qualified for districts as an individual, while Casserly and Macieunas are going for the first time.
“It is exciting,” Macieunas said. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, but I got a break. The cut was a 95.”
There weren’t many low scores to be found Monday on the par-73, 6,354-yard layout. The only sub-80 round was turned in by Class AAA winner Trevor Buss (79) of Nazareth. The Class AA medalist was Moravian Academy’s Cory Haldeman (80).
Still, Monday was all about getting to the next round.
Mickatavage, a junior, along with Wollyung and McFadden, both sophomores, qualified for the second time as individuals. Sophy, Reiter and Schoener are going to districts for the first time as individuals. Sophy is a junior, while Reiter and Schoener are freshmen.
Reiter felt his score was good enough to make the cut. His round included a birdie on the par-4, 386-yard No. 12, along with four pars.
“I didn’t play the best,” he said. “My short game was really good, especially out of the sand. I left myself with 6-foot putts, so then I could just get a par or save a bogey for that.”
Monday was the first district qualifier for McFadden. Last year, he won the Schuylkill League championship and automatically qualified for districts.
McFadden, who started at No. 17, rallied late in his round to get in. He had a chip-in birdie at No. 14, a 507-yard, uphill par 5, the hardest hole on the course.
McFadden played his final three holes at 1 under to get himself in well under the cut line.
“I feel I didn’t play very well,” McFadden said. “I made a charge on the back nine from 14 on.
“My distances were a little off today. I didn’t have the right distances a lot. Balls were flying far, or it was out of bounds. I just have to get ready for next Monday.”
With three holes left, Sophy, who began at 13, felt his score was going to be good enough to get him in with no problem, especially after a birdie at No. 5, a short, 263-yard par 4.
But Sophy struggled down the stretch, shooting 7 over on his final five holes.
It made for some anxious moments after the round as the scores came in.
“It is cool, but I would have liked to have played a little bit better today,” Sophy said. “Last couple holes I struggled. I just had to make it interesting.
“Standing there when I was hearing a lot of the lower scores, I was kind of nervous, but it ended up being good enough. I will take it.”
Scoreboard
District 11 Golf Qualifier
At Mahoning Valley Country Club
Lehighton
Yardage: 6,354 Par: 73
Monday’s results
Class AA
Cory Haldeman, Moravian Academy 80
J.T. Barker, Bethlehem Catholic 81
Bobby Beck, Moravian Academy 84
Michael Gilmartin, Catasauqua 85
Sam Martini, Pen Argyl 85
Nick Scicchitano, Mahanoy Area 85
Colin Casserly, Mahanoy Area 86
Clayton Hagenbuch, Wilson 86
Luke Reiter, Pine Grove 86
Zak Carruso, Northwestern Lehigh 89
Christian Haldeman, Mor. Academy 89
Carson Schoener, Tamaqua 90
Albert McFadden, Marian 90
Trey Macieunas, Mahanoy Area 92
Hunter Mickatavage, North Sch. 92
Zack Luke, Notre Dame-Green Pond 93
Jack Bonge, Salisbury 95
Michael Wollyung, Nativity 95
Missed cut (local golfers only)
Michael Latoff, Marian 100
Class AAA
Trevor Buss, Nazareth 79
Brian Whelan, Pocono Mtn. East 80
Max Harrington, Emmaus 81
Nick Kshatri, Parkland 81
Paul Fedele, Easton 82
Kevin Scherr, Nazareth 82
Nick Hinkle, Nazareth 83
Carter Test, Northampton 83
John Yocum, Freedom 83
Brian Zinman, Souther Lehigh 83
Ryan Adamonis, Pleasant Valley 84
Nick Atherholt, Nazareth 84
Thomas Coakley, Saucon Valley 84
Brian Frey, Stroudsburg 84
Tim Gaudette, Pocono Mtn. West 84
Jake Martino, Easton 84
Zach Juhasz, Freedom 85
Donald Lecompte, E.S. North 85
Vinny Marfisi, Liberty 85
Jacob Siegfried, Liberty 85
Bailey Sophy, Blue Mountain 85
Jacob Trenberth, Nazareth 85
Missed cut (local players only)
Trent Williams, Pottsville 87
Mike DeColli, Pottsville 91
Kory McElvaney, Pottsville 95
Erik Reichard, Lehighton 102
Lyle Luckenbill, Blue Mountain 104