Ryan, Methacton top Pope John Paul on home course
CEDARS » It proved to be a valuable warmup.
Methacton spent Tuesday afternoon playing both Owen J. Roberts and Spring-Ford at Gilbertsville Golf Club, in a special tie-breaking match for the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s Final Four playoffs. With all three teams even through the league’s regular season, the event was designed to seed the schools for the PAC post-season.
By posting a team score of 186 to Roberts’ 190 and Spring-Ford’s 191, Methacton got the top seed and a home-course duel Wednesday with Pope John Paul II. It took advantage of the situation, scoring a 193208 win on the fourth-seeded Golden Panthers at Skippack Golf Course.
“We definitely got prepared with the extra nine holes,” Caleb Ryan, Methacton’s low man with a nine-hole score of 35, who shot even par at 35, said. “We played theway we’ve been playing all year.”
Carding five of the match’s six lowest scores puts Methacton in position to defend its 2014 PAC-10 championship. It will return to Gilbertsville Thursday for a rematch with Owen J. Roberts, which scored a 189-201 win on Spring-Ford in Wednesday’s other semifinal at Kimberton Golf Club.
“It was very profitable,” Ryan said. “Playing here, we have a big advantage.”
Ryan ended up sharing low-man honors with PJP’s Mike Limongelli, who also carded an even-par 35. But the difference in
the match came below the leaders, Methacton getting a 37 from Kyle Vance while the Panthers’ next low score was Tom Schaffer’s 42.
Between PJP’s two leaders, Methacton golfers took six places.
All eight of its contestants headed the Panthers’ last three.
“We had a long layoff since the individual tournament,” Warrior head coach Kevin Flanagan said, “so having the (Tuesday) match certainly helped us.”
Ryan got himself and the Methacton team off to a fast start, scoring birdies on three of the first four holes. A strong putting game also served the ninth-grader well.
“It was a very good start,” Ryan, the team’s co-leader Tuesday with a one-over 36, said. “My putting game...the shots were rolling my way.”
“We’ve seen him struggle early in the season,” Flanagan added, “but Caleb is good enough to adjust on the fly. For a freshman,
he’s mature. He’s hitting a good stride right now.”
Adam Duca and Zach Feaster checked in with 40s for Methacton, followed by Connor McCaffrey’s 41 and T.J. Cinelli’s 42. Gunnar Gale, who shared low-man honors with Ryan at Gilbertsville, had a 44, and Dan Rieger a 45.
David Antonuik was third-lowest for PJP with a 43, followed by 44s from J.T. Spina and James Poot. Jacklyn D’Angelo carded a 47 ahead of 48s by Luke Moratelli and Matt Grimm.
“Yesterday, we were all relaxed but still a little tense,” Flanagan said. “It will be nice to play at a neutral site for both teams. It (Gilbertsville) is a fair course to play.”
“It’s definitely going to be a tough match,” Ryan added. “We’ve played at Gilbertsville well. I like the course.” NOTES » Pope John Paul II, going 5-3 in the recently-completed regular season, was making its first appearance in the PAC’s Final Four playoffs.