Vikings grab another title

Central Catholic boys Class 3A champs

Central Catholic was in a lot of trouble Wednesday in the PIAA Class 3A team finals.

“We got off to a horrible start,” Central Catholic coach Corey O’Connor said. “It was a shotgun start, and we started off on the top of the hill and we had four [double-bogeys] and a triple through like the first six or seven holes and then we calmed down and weathered that storm.”

Not only did the Vikings muddle through, they came away with their second PIAA Class 3A title in three years and got revenge.

As a team, Central Catholic shook off that rocky start and played the back nine of Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York, Pa., at 1-over 141 — three shots better than defending champion Unionville — as the Vikings pulled out a 300-305 victory to win.

In doing so, they also did to Unionville what it had done to them last year. As defending champions in 2017, the Vikings finished third behind Unionville and Central York.

“It was a really good match, Unionville was a really good team, and we were paired up with them in three groups, so we knew what the general score was with them at the time,” O’Connor said. “It’s a great feeling, and I just feel good for the kids that they were able to get back here because, when you get somewhere and lose, you’re always determined to get back and we were able to hold on and make a few more shots than the other team.”

North Allegheny’s girls golf team has been aggressive all season, but with blustery conditions the Tigers had to rein it in a bit in their approach. It worked.

North Allegheny started on the back nine and built a three-shot lead over Downingtown East at the turn, then held on through a 17over 125 on the front nine and edged the District 1 champions, 243-247, to defend its state title.

North Allegheny joined Mount St. Joseph (2006-07, 2009) as the only girls teams to win three PIAA Class 3A titles in a four-year span and are the first team in the highest classification to repeat as state champions since the sport was split into two classes in 2012.

With the victory, North Allegheny senior Caroline Wrigley joined an elite group as she is the first Class 3A player to win the WPIAL and PIAA individual and team titles in the same year. Mackey Fouse of Central Valley also accomplished the feat in Class 2A in 2013.

Each of the past three years, Greensburg Central Catholic made the trip to York as WPIAL champion and came away disappointed with a silver medal. This year, they made a victorious ride back as the Centurions shot a 34-over 250 to beat defending state champion Sewickley Academy by two strokes to claim the school’s first PIAA team golf title.

Sewickley Academy, the boys defending Class 2A champion, finished third.