Sep 27, 2018 4 min read

SEWICKLEY – As Chartiers-Houston High School golf coach Rich Sonson carefully followed the scoreboard Thursday, he talked about how body language can tell the entire story of a round of golf.

But for Bucs’ Jack Hritsko, who was appearing in his first WPIAL Class AA Championship, it was about not showing the nerves, though he was definitely feeling them.

“I came in here very nervous,” Hritsko said, even after playing a practice round at the course (Wednesday). “It was important to just keep my cool.”

Hritsko did that and more by parring 14 holes, staying close to the top of the leaderboard and finishing in fourth place with a 2-over-par 72 at Allegheny Country Club.

The junior led the group of five local golfers who finished among the top 18 and qualified for the PIAA Western Regional. Carmichaels’ Matthew Barrish, Bentworth’s Luke Dziak, McGuffey’s C.J. King and Hritsko’s teammate, Spencer Kane, each advanced to the state regional, which will be held at Tom’s Run Golf Course in Blairsville Oct. 15.

“I played pretty consistent and hit greens on my second shot,” Hritsko said. “It just came down to two-putting from there. It was important to start well but hitting greens was the biggest thing today.”

Riverside junior Skyler Fox won his third consecutive WPIAL title with a difficult two-putt on hole No. 18 to win by one stroke, finishing at 2-under 68.

Hritsko said he typically scores in the mid-70s with most of his rounds, but enjoyed the course when he practiced on it.

“When you work that hard, good things come out of it,” Sonson said about Hritsko. “He starts fast and then the rest of his game reflects it. He shot a tremendous round. He deserves it.”

A fast start wasn’t a luxury Barrish, who advanced to the state finals last year, could enjoy on this day.

Barrish bogeyed five of his first eight holes before going on a torrid pace with four birdies on the back nine to shoot 74, which tied for eighth place.

“I started out rough,” Barrish said. “The first couple of holes I had some chunky shots, but then I finally started to strike the ball well and make putts.”

Last year, Barrish was cotending for a top-three finish until a bogey on No. 17 and triple bogey on No. 18 dropped him to sixth place.

“It was flipped from last year. If I could just combine my front nine from last year and back nine from this year,” Barrish joked. “But my main goal was to come out and get to Tom’s Run.”

For two first-time qualifiers to the state regional, a clutch shot saved them from competing in a playoff.

Kane made a long, downhill putt for birdie on No. 17 as part of his 10-over 80. Kane finished tied for 17th in the final qualifying spot.

“It was a crazy putt and I definitely got lucky,” Kane, who missed qualifying at this same event last year, said with an exhausted smile.

“I knew it was going to be close coming down the stretch. I knew what I had to do. All the pieces just fell my way.”

King also shot 80 after a 30-yard chip from a repair area ended up a foot from the hole. He made the putt to save par.

“If I didn’t make that chip on 18, I would have been in the playoff,” King said. “I struggled on the fifth hole and wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. But after that I played decent. That chip at the end was the biggest shot of my round.”

They were the final two golfers to qualify. A large group of players who shot 81 were forced to go to a playoff for the alternate position.

After making the state finals as a freshman, Dziak will have the opportunity to return following a two-year absence.

The Bentworth senior shot 75 to finish comfortably above the cut line in 11th place.

“I couldn’t get any putts to drop but that’s life,” Dziak said. “The key was to qualify. That’s it. It feels good to going back to Tom’s Run for a second time.”