YAIAA preview: Golf
All three golfers of the year in the YAIAA return as seniors, making this perhaps a year to remember for the league. Start in Division III, where PIAA Class AA champion Isaiah Logue returns and is fresh off a YCAGA crown in July. Brandon Greenplate returns for Dallastown in Division I and Josh Rinehart is back in Division II with West York.
Get your scorecard ready as we set the par with this season’s YAIAA golf preview:
PRESEASON TOP 5
1. Dallastown
2. Central York
3. West York
4. Red Lion
5. York Catholic
GOLFERS TO WATCH
Josh Rinehart, West York, Sr.
Isaiah Logue, Fairfield, Sr.
Brandon Greenplate, Dallastown, Sr.
Gus Minkin, Central York, So.
Nick Geiman, York Catholic, Jr.
DIVISION I BREAKDOWN
● With two freshmen golfer on the all-star team, the future looked bright for Central York. The Panthers, however, will return only half of that combo, as Evan Johnson is planning a move to Virginia before the school year. That leaves Gus Minkin poised to build off an impressive freshman campaign that saw him card the second-best Division I average (76.29) behind Dallastown’s Brandon Greenplate.
Although Minkin will be without his friend Johnson, he still has company. Junior Collin Potter finished sixth last year in the division with a 80.14 average. Sophomore Connor Bacha finished 11th as a freshman, averaging an 82.50. Junior Mitch Marino was the division's No. 10 golfer with an 81.7 average.
● Dallastown finished second to the Panthers but welcomes back the division’s top golfer, senior Brandon Greenplate, and No. 5 golfer, senior Byron Markle. Greenplate won golfer-of-the-year honors in Division I and was its only competitor to qualify for states. He finished tied for 16th with a two-day total of 154 at Heritage Hills. The Wildcats return five of their top six golfers from last year.
● Red Lion graduated Brandon Stine but returns sophomore Kevin Crumbling, who shot an 80.29 average and finished eighth among YAIAA Division I golfers. Senior James Caskey, who averaged an 84, and junior Dylan Reichard, who shot about 87 as a sophomore, also are slated to return. Caskey joined Crumbling in last year's District 3 tournament.
● South Western had an all-star in Aaron Gobrecht last season and returns its No. 2 golfer, senior Zach Swanner.
● Spring Grove is expected to welcome back one of its top golfers, senior Cayden Wisner, who averaged an 85.71 last fall. The Rockets should also have the division’s top returning girls’ golfer, junior Victoria Ross, who averaged an 87.14.
● New Oxford, winner of the last two sportsmanship awards, returns the No. 9 golfer in last year’s YAIAA, Michael Gruver, who’s back for his junior season. Gruver, who averaged an 81.29, is joined by senior Owen Groft, a senior who last year qualified for districts with the 16th best average in the league.
● Dover graduated its top golfer from last season, Ross Drawbaugh, and is slated to return junior Brett Reiber, who averaged a 93.86.
DIVISION II BREAKDOWN
● West York returns the division’s top golfer, senior Josh Rinehart, a three-time YAIAA individual champion after shooting a 68 at Briarwood East. Junior Axel Hartman also is slated to return after an all-star sophomore season.
● Eastern York lost four-year YAIAA tournament qualifier Mike Bair to graduation but welcomes back sophomore Andrew Davis. As a freshman, Davis had the division’s seventh-best average (81.2) and qualified for the second day of District 3 play. James Davis, a player on the York County amateur tour, also returns for his junior season.
● Junior Devin Moore had the division’s third-best average and returns to York Suburban after also finishing third at the YAIAA championships. Moore is joined by fellow junior Ben Strine, giving the Trojans a strong one-two punch as they hope to improve from last year’s fourth-place finish in Division II.
● Northeastern brings back one of the area's top girls' golfers, Malori Bloss-Senft.
DIVISION III BREAKDOWN
● Delone Catholic graduated its top golfer, all-star and captain Casey Bird, who averaged an 80.1 last year. Fellow all-star and current senior Ross Hockenberry is slated to return after averaging an 81.3.
● York Catholic will return junior Nick Geiman, coming off an all-star sophomore season in which he shot an average of 76. Geiman also won the York County Junior Golf Association Match Play Championship in late July. He also will be joined by Matt McKim, who has a year of experience behind him, and returning captain Alec Gombeda. On the girls' side, the Fighting Irish sport Lauren Parrini, who qualified for regionals last season.
● Bermudian Springs graduated all-star Drew Taylor and returns YAIAA postseason qualifier Austin Little, a senior who averaged 95 last year. The Eagles also sport junior Alexis Rohrbaugh, who has qualified for the last two league tournaments. The Bermudian lineup also will include senior Mason Wildasin, who averaged 101, and junior Alex Tweardy, who averaged 109 as a sophomore.
● Isaiah Logue
looks to defend his PIAA championship in Class AA at Fairfield. As a junior, Logue averaged a 71. He will be joined this season by Michael Moore, Austin Ford, Derrick Harner and District 3 girls’ qualifier Allison Howe.
MARK THE CALENDAR
Monday, Aug. 26: Dallastown at Central York – these teams have the most returning top golfers in Division I and will meet for the first time here. They play again Monday, Sept. 9 at Springwood, Dallastown’s home course, with Dover and New Oxford.
Wednesday, Sept. 18: Bermudian Springs, Delone Catholic at York Catholic (Honey Run) – this matchup could decide the Division II team title and is a regular-season finale. Delone and York Catholic finished first and second last year.
Thursday, Sept. 26: District 3 championships at Briarwood – the boys event will be played at the East Course, while the girls will tee off on the West Course.
Monday, Oct. 21 and Tuesday, Oct 22: PIAA championships at Briarwood East Golf Course.