Wallenpaupack coach Bob Simons poses with the Abington Heights boys team that won the Lackawanna League preseason tournament, which was named after Simons last year. From left: Simons, Abington Heights coach Frank Summa, Robert Munley, Cade Kelleher, Luke Morgan, Connor Abel, Alec Hamilton and Philip Mathews.
Tom Robinson | For Abington Journal
GREENFIELD TWP. – Just selecting a roster and a lineup to begin the season proved to be a difficult task for Abington Heights boys golf coach Frank Summa, but not for the reasons typical of teams hit hard by graduation.
Summa welcomed dozens of worthy candidates for the brief preseason time, selecting a roster in less than a week of official practices.
The talent from which he was choosing was evident in the team’s second competition of the season when the Comets won the team title at the Bob Simons Classic boys tournament at Elkview Country Club Aug. 15.
“Prior to the tryouts, when I had 35 players signed up, I knew I was going to have my hands full figuring out what would be the best 12 players,” Summa said. “After a day, we had it down to 28, then after the second day, we had it down to 22, which was still tough to pick from.”
Summa had youthful options available. He wound up selecting a 12-player team of one senior, one junior, seven sophomores and three freshmen.
“There’s a lot of young talent, that’s for sure,” Abington Heights coach Frank Summa said.
Instead of having holes in the lineup after bringing back just one full-time starter and a few part-time players from last season’s second-place team, the Comets showed off better depth than the rest of the league. The Simons Classic brings together all the Lackawanna League teams in the first week of the season.
With 114 players in the field, Abington Heights had all six players in the top 17. Only Scranton Prep had as many as three players finish that high.
The tournament format is to use the best four scores out of six and the Abington Heights balance was good for a score of 316.
Scranton Prep was second with a 321. Riverside was a distant third with 334.
Lackawanna Trail placed sixth out of the 21 teams with enough players for a team score, totaling 354.
Cade Kelleher, one of the players who gained some match experience a year ago, led Abington Heights with a 5-under-par, 77 to place fifth overall in fast, dry conditions. He received the low sophomore award in the tournament, which gives an award for each class after first issuing other awards to the top three players overall.
“I made a few good birdies following bogeys,” he said. “There were some good chances and I made a few of them and thankfully it lowered my score.”
Kelleher’s efforts to make sure he was ready to fight for a spot in the lineup paid off.
“It kept me motivated,” he said. “It’s a lot of competition.”
Robert Munley, the tournament’s low freshman last season, shot a 78 to tie for sixth.
Senior Luke Morgan, the most experienced player back, shot 38 on the back nine to come in with a 79.
Freshman Philip Mathews added an 82 to place 11th.
Alec Hamilton and Connor Abel each finished with 83s as part of a six-way tie for 12th.
The win was a good sign for a team, which has since developed into the Class 3A Division leader and favorite in a realigned Lackawanna League.
“It gives us a good idea on how well we can do,” Summa said.
Gavin Walsh shot a 73 to tie for second overall and lead Scranton Prep. Ben Walsh was the low freshman with an 81.
Eddie Kaufman from Mid Valley was medalist with a 72, rallying on the back nine to pass Riverside’s Michael Mislanka who tied with Gavin Walsh after making the turn at 2-under.
Gavin June shot 80 to lead Lackawanna Trail and finish ninth overall.
Lorenzo Domiano tied for 18th with an 84.
GIRLS
The Simons Classic for Lackawanna League girls was played a week later at Elmhurst Country Club through multiple weather-related stoppages.
Scranton Prep repeated as team champion, running away with a three-player team score of 255.
North Pocono was second with a 284 and Abington Heights was third among the six full teams with a 317.
Gwen Powell won with a 75.
Gianna Cafarella and Miranda Karoscik were second and fourth for Scranton Prep with a 77 and 85.
Sophia Policare from Abington Heights was 11th with a 98, Rose Peters was 15th with a 107 and Maisy Early tied for 17th with a 112.
Sabrina Rogallo tied for 19th with 113 to lead Lackawanna Trail, which did not enter a full team.
