Belle Vernon, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its first team championships of the 2024-25 academic year at the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Golf Team Championships on Thursday, Oct. 10 at Cedarbrook Gold Golf Course. In Class 3A, North Allegheny snapped a 53-year drought to claim the team title, while North Catholic was victorious in Class 2A for the second time in four seasons.
 
North Allegheny is now a two-time WPIAL boys’ golf team champion, winning its first in 1971. The 53-year wait is the longest in WPIAL boys’ golf history between two championships, with Greensburg Salem previously holding that title with a 41-year gap between its 1956 and 1997 titles.
 
North Catholic, along with North Allegheny, join a group of 24 schools to win multiple WPIAL boys’ golf team championships. The Trojans and Tigers are now two-time champions alongside Baldwin, Butler, Greater Latrobe, Har-Brack, Mt. Lebanon, Plum, and West View.
 
Both WPIAL champions have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Golf Team Championships, which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Penn State Golf Courses.
 
CLASS 3A RECAP
Thanks to three players carding scores of 75 or under, North Allegheny secured its first WPIAL boys’ golf championship since 1971 as its score of 386 (+26) bested South Fayette for the Class 3A crown by three strokes.
 
North Allegheny (16-3, 11-1 Section III) saw junior Ravi Desai pace the team with an even-par 72, followed by scores of 75 (+3) by senior Chris Hoffman and junior Preston Troiano. Two more juniors, Liam Cooper and Colin Ward, rounded out the scoring with respective tallies of 81 (+9) and 83 (+11). Senior Charlie Burbick also competed for the Tigers, firing an 84 (+12).
 
With a team score of 389 (+29), South Fayette (12-1, 11-1 Section IV) secured its first top-two finish since its four-year streak of Class 2A championships from 2002 to 2005. The Lions were led by junior Jackson Stephens, who finished at 73 (+1), followed by senior Randy Fisher (76, +4) and junior Sam Bishop (77, +5). Third-years Noah Nickolas and Brady Newman completed the scoring with respective scores of 80 (+8) and 83 (+11). The sixth South Fayette golfer was senior Trevor D’Alessandro, who totaled a 91 (+19) on the day.
 
Plum (399, +39) finished third, followed by Fox Chapel (401, +41), West Allegheny (409, +49), and Belle Vernon (424, +64) completing the six-team field.
 
Plum senior Wes Lorish was the individual low score with a 71 (-1), followed by Desai (72, E), Stephens (73, +1), Hoffman (75, +1), and Troiano (75, +1).
 
North Allegheny will be making its first PIAA Boys’ Golf Team Championships appearance, becoming the 11th different WPIAL school to participate.

CLASS 2A RECAP
For the second time in four seasons, North Catholic captured the WPIAL Class 2A boys’ golf team championship, as it registered a 419 (+59) to edge Greensburg Central Catholic by a single stroke.
 
North Catholic (8-4, 8-2 Section IX) had all of its scorers post tallies between 79 and 89. Sophomore Chris Faber led the way with a 79 (+7), followed by classmate Dylan Murray at 81 (+9). Another sophomore, Eric Proie, fired an 83 (+11), with junior Ben Kandravy (87, +15) and senior Luke Lamb (89, +17) completing the five scorers. Junior Colin Glass also competed for the Trojans, totaling a 93 (+21).
 
Greensburg Central Catholic (13-1, 12-0 Section II) was paced by senior Braden Riley, who registered a 76 (+4) on the afternoon. Fellow senior Sean Walker recorded an 83 (+11), with the rest of the scorers – seniors Braden Marker and Jake Kratzenberg, junior Brandon Plunko – posting tallies of 87 (+15). The sixth Centurions golfer was junior Cole Zubaty, who finished with a 91 (+19).
 
Shady Side Academy (424, +64) placed third, followed by McGuffey (429, +69), Quaker Valley (433, +73), and Elizabeth Forward (437, +77).
 
Elizabeth Forward sophomore Aaron Didjunas carded the classification’s lowest round with a 74 (+2), followed by Quaker Valley senior Ethan Dai at 75 (+3). Riley and Shady Side Academy senior Ryan Frohlich shared third with scores of 76 (+4), with Faber’s 79 (+7) good for fifth.
 
This will be the second time North Catholic has qualified for the PIAA Boys’ Golf Team Championships, previously finishing fourth in 2021.
 
PIAA PREVIEW
Date & Location: Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Penn State Golf Courses
Amount of Champions from WPIAL: 10 (7 in Class 3A, 3 in Class 2A)
     - Previous Champions: Central Catholic (3), Sewickley Academy (3), Fox Chapel (1), Greater Latrobe (1),
                                               Peters Township (1), Upper St. Clair (1)
Appearances: North Catholic – 2nd; North Allegheny – 1st
     - Best Finishes: North Catholic (4th in 2021)
Last Class 3A PIAA Champion from WPIAL: Peters Township (2023)
Last Class 2A PIAA Champion from WPIAL: Sewickley Academy (2019)

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