Treesdale, Westwood golf teams capture regional titles

For the second year in a row, a group of local youth golfers made their mark on a national stage.

The 17U Northern golf team from Treesdale Golf Club in Gibsonia won the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League 17U Regional Championship over Labor Day weekend at Milham Park Golf Club in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The 17U Northern team also won the event last year. The six members of the team are Wills Kontul, Colin Stevenson, Daniel O’Malley, Justin Kontul, Matt Mueller and Russell Rockacy.

They earned the top seed by shooting a combined 10-under par during stroke play qualifying Sept. 3, finishing six shots ahead of their closest competitor.

The next morning, Northern 17U took down The Albatrosses of Belmont Hills Country Club (Ohio), 8-1, in the semifinals and later in the day won the championship match 5.5-3.5 over Great Lakes Bay (Mich.).

Another Western Pennsylvania team, Hot Shot Golf Academy from Westwood Golf Club in West Mifflin won the 13U regional title.

Hot Shot Golf Academy advanced to the PGA Jr. League National Championship Oct. 6-9, in Scottsdale, Ariz. The National Championship is broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks.

The 17U division season ends at the regional level and does not have a national championship.

Beam picks up offer

Pine-Richland football got its first win of the Jon LeDonne era, a 33-0 shutout at Kiski Area on Sept. 2.

A few days later Jake Beam got his first college offer.

Beam, a senior, received a scholarship offer from Sacred Heart on Sept. 5.

Beam is an offensive and defensive lineman who has played both guard and tackle as well as defensive tackle.

He was a second team all-conference lineman last season.

Beam is not the only Rams senior drawing FCS interest.

Andrew Mellis, a first-team all-conference wideout last year, has an offer from Duquesne.

Max Heckert, a linebacker/fullback, has an offer from Marist. He earned honorable mention all-conference honors at linebacker last season.

Mellis and Heckert picked up their college offers in August.

Former Rams find home at Duquesne

Duquesne has become a pipeline for Pine-Richland football players.

There are seven former Rams playing for the Dukes this fall.

Sophomores Sam Neil (defensive back), Seth Bolin (linebacker), Ethan O’Neil (offensive line), Michael Dorundo (offensive line) and freshmen Connor Lenz (defensive end), Alex Gochis (wide receiver) and John Swisher (offensive line) are the former Rams on the roster.

Dorundo has been Duquesne’s starting center since his freshman season last year.

Neil made four tackles in Duquesne’s loss 47-7 at Florida State.

Bolin, Swisher and O’Neil have appeared in games this season for the Dukes.