Abington Heights Boys Golf: Comets turn back challenge from Trojans to rule Lackawanna 3A

GREENFIELD TWP. — North Pocono tied Abington Heights in one of the two nine-hole matches during the Lackawanna League Class 3A Division regular season.

The Trojans did it again in the 18-hole final of the league’s playoffs.

With the league’s berth in the District 2 final on the line, this time the tie had to broken.

Robby Lucas, Robert Munley and Cade Kelleher made sure the Comets came out on top, advanced to the district final and remained unbeaten against Lackawanna competition on the season.

Abington Heights was 13-0-1 in the division, won a non-league match against Class 2A Division champion Scranton Prep, won the Bob Simons Classic for league members and got through two playoff rounds.

The Comets and Trojans tied, 4½-4½, in the 18-hole portion of their match, largely because of a clutch up-and-down by Munley on the 18th hole in the final group to preserve that tie and extend the match.

They won two of the three, one-hole, better-ball playoffs when Kelleher rolled in a long birdie putt to open the door for Lucas to post the winning birdie in the last group.

“I hit a good drive,” Lucas said of the birdie on the par-5, first hole. “I think I had 210 yards. I knew that 5-iron was enough, downhill and down wind. I just trusted it, hit and it wound up being the number and I two-putted for birdie.”

The amount of aggressiveness Lucas could display on his second shot changed when partner Munley played a safe second shot after they both stood on the fairway watching Kelleher sink his advantage-shifting putt.

“I had the same putt previously when I played the first hole,” Kelleher said. “It was not great. I blew it 30 feet by.

“On that one, it was good to get redemption and make it when it mattered most.”

During the 18-hole portion of the match, Kelleher and Swank had swept the middle foursome for three points. Lucas won his singles match, 6 and 5, over Matthew Seidita and earned a half-point in better-ball with Munley despite three back-nine birdies by North Pocono’s Brady Mapes.

The Comets finished two matches in front of North Pocono (11-2-1) in divisional play.

Abington Heights strayed from the league’s match-play format to defeat Scranton Prep, 154-159, in a stroke play, non-league match. The Cavaliers had a perfect record in the Class 2A Division.

Cade Kelleher and Robert Munley shot 38s against Scranton Prep while Luke Morgan and Alec Hamilton added 39s.

Gavin Walsh led Scranton Prep with a 38. Dan Flynn followed with a 39, Antonio Ingarziola 40 and Ben Walsh 42.

The top four Class 3A teams advanced to playoffs where Abington Heights defeated Wallenpaupack, 7½-1½ in the semifinals.

The Buckhorns had come within 5-4 of the Comets when playing on their home course, The Country Club at Woodloch Springs.

The Comets fared much better in the two meetings at Glen Oak Country Club.

Luke Morgan and Swank managed two of three points in the first foursome, which included District 2 Class 3A champion Kevin Wortmann.

Swank, who won in both singles and doubles, had two birdies while Morgan eagled 7 and added a birdie.

Wortmann shot even-par, 36 and used a birdie on 9 to beat Morgan, 1 up.

Kelleher had two birdies on the way to 4-and-3 singles and better-ball wins for 2½ more points in the middle foursome.

Lucas and Munley swept the three points in the final foursome, ending all suspense by securing two of the points in six holes and the other in seven.

North Pocono tied Abington Heights at Elmhurst Country Club, but the Comets won the rematch at Glen Oak, 7-2.

The Comets entered the match 7-0-1 while the Trojans were 6-0-1.

Kelleher and Conner Abel swept the three points in the first foursome.

Morgan and Kelleher each shot 2-over-par, 38s. Kelleher, Morgan and Munley all birdied 7.

Munley won a singles point in the middle foursome.

Morgan and Hamilton won all three points by the time they walked off the sixth green in the last group.