By Kyle LoJacono
Wiregrass Ranch High boys golf coach Nick Cuviello said the Bulls were sick of being the bridesmaid in district tournaments and they showed it Oct. 19 at Pebble Creek Golf Club.
The Bulls, who had finished as district runner-up the last two years, won the team title by 26 strokes over Land O’ Lakes High.
“It was really exciting,” Cuviello said. “We had a bad start, but managed to grind it out and finish with a lot of strong scores.”
Senior Dylan Larson’s individual district crown was much closer. He shot 1-over 72 in regulation, tied with Gators golfer Jon Kopsell. The two went to a playoff. It looked bad for Larson when he shot his tee shot into the rough, but he recovered to sink a 2-foot par putt.
“He battled all day with Jon,” Cuviello said. “It went right down to the end. He told me after he was very nervous standing over that par putt to win it and who could blame him with everyone watching. He was able to calm himself and get the job down.”
It was the second straight individual title for Larson. He had to hit a 15-foot birdie on 17 just to force the playoff with Kopsell.
Larson’s teammates Logan Horrigan and Chris Kluender shot 76 and 78 respectively. Land O’ Lakes golfer Robert Nieman came in at 79, while fellow Gators Jesse Boger and Matt Mooney shot 90 and 97 respectively.
Sunlake High finished fifth with a 343 in the Class 2A, District 6 tournament, two spots out of advancing to regionals. Seahawks golfer Nicolai Atkinson managed to qualify individually for regionals with a 79.
Saddlebrook wins, Wildcats third
Saddlebrook Prep won its second straight boys golf district championship Oct. 18. The Spartans score of 323 beat out first-year Fivay High’s 328 and Wesley Chapel High’s 336.
It was the last district tournament for the Wildcats’ Alan Black, who has been a coach at Wesley Chapel since the school opened in 1999.
“It was kind of bittersweet,” Black said. “We did well finishing second in the conference and didn’t play that well in districts, but we did enough to advance. Hopefully we can put together a good round in regionals and get to states.”
The low round of the day went to Fivay’s Austin Padova with a 2-under 70. Wesley Chapel seniors Brandon Mumaw and Jacob Fleck shot the second and third best scores at 76 and 78 respectively.
Saddlebrook took the 1A-9 crown with consistent scoring from all four golfers. Jordy Torrent shot 79, Alex Benshel shot 80 and both Adam Chowhari and Daniel Hori shot 82.
Carrollwood Day’s Ryan Hooverman (91) and Alex Lucas (95) along with Academy at the Lakes’ Michael Davidson (98) advanced individually.
