The Southeast and Mogadore boys golf teams prepare to tee off for their match against each other on Friday at Olde Dutch Mill.
Susan Jenior/Portage Sports

By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Mogadore Wildcats visited former Portage Trail Conference rival Southeast Pirates on Friday at Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course.

The two teams, in early tournament action, have been among the top three or four in events with teams that make the coaches proud.

In this nine-hole match on the Par-36 fairways of the Pirates’ home course, the Wildcats edged the Pirates by three strokes, 162-165.

“This was a good match between two good teams,” said Chris Mossa, Wildcats varsity coach for 20 years.

“We are deeper this year than almost any team I have had,” said Mossa. That was backed up by both teams holding a junior-varsity contest following the varsity when Southeast won, but in another close match.

“I respect  (Southeast coach) Mike (Jenior), and we enjoy competing against each other,” said Mossa.

Mogadore’s Jude Thiry watches the flight of his approach shot during Friday’s match against Southeast.
Susan Jenior/Portage Sports

Jenior was looking forward to the match, as well.

“When you play Mogadore, there are several things that you can expect,” explained Jenior. “You will face a very good golf team with nothing but class. That all goes back to coaching. The faces may change, but coach Mossa always has a successful team,” offered the Southeast coach.

“And they are the first ones to shake your hand before and after a match. That’s why we enjoy playing them every season,” said Jenior. “We have nothing but respect for the Cats.”

It was a fun match for both teams — and friends and family, who all have been following golf for years and know the players on both teams as they watched the action.

The Southeast girls team came to cheer on the Pirates, while Mogadore grandparents provided the positive reaction to shots for the Wildcats.

Southeast’s James Morgan earned medalist honors by one stroke, firing a 38.

The scoring for the rest of the field was consistent and close as Mogadore’s golfers Jude Thiry (39), Tyler Pendergast (40), Max Shannon (41) and Blake Waterhouse (42) had four golfers within four strokes of each other, with Brock Thiry and Noah Hopkins (both 43s) making it a five-stroke span for six golfers.

The Pirates, with Morgan’s 38, included Cole Bruno 40, Alex Peelish 42 and Ethan Shodd 45 — only seven strokes difference between the top-four golfers as Shade Stevens (47) and Owen Dombroski (47) finished out the scoring.

“This match didn’t really mean anything since Southeast is in the MVAC and Mogadore is playing an independent schedule,” continued Mossa, “but I expect to see James Morgan at the state tournament again and there is a chance that both teams could make it with their depth.”

Mossa is setting goals for the team since they aren’t in a league and letting the golfers have a bit of fun as well.

Each golfer wore a different style hat to the match, a tradition Mogadore started prior to this year when they played at Olde Dutch against Southeast.

The golfers had everything from cowboy and bucket hats to pancake and traditional.

ROOSEVELT GIRLS FINISH STRONG

The Kent Roosevelt girfls competed in the Solon Lady Comet Classic on Thursday and the Suburban League’s second (of four) tournaments on Friday with solid results in both.

The team was led in both events by Adrianna Mineo, who fired a 79 in the Solon Tournament, good for fifth place, and a 76 in the Suburban Tournament to make the individual top three.

She led the Riders to fifth place in Solon and third place in the Suburban for her third straight All-Tournament Team finish.

Mineo was helped by Brooke Beatty, in second place in both tournaments for the Rough Riders carding an 87 at Fox Den Golf Course in Stow, site of the Suburban tournament, and an 84 at Grantwood Golf Course for the Solon tourney.

The Streetsboro girls also competed at Grantwood as Sarah Czirok fired a 92 as the best for her team that finished in 12th place.

Aurora, members of the Suburban League, finished in fourth place behind Kent Roosevelt, with a 390 team score led by Bennett DeLuca’s 91.