After the disappointment of finishing fourth a year ago and having the District XI Class 3A Championships moved from a familiar venue, Lehigh Country Club, to Olde Homestead Golf Club due to weather, the Emmaus golf team had to wait nearly 365 days for another chance.
The long wait was well worth it for head coach Mo Bryan and her young squad.
With overcast skies descending upon the picturesque Par-70 course just off Cedar Crest Boulevard, just minutes from Emmaus High School, the championships went off without a hitch on Monday morning.
And when the final team scores were tallied it was the Hornets wearing the gold around their necks as they edged Eastern Pennsylvania Conference rival Northampton for the team title 315-323, just a week removed from falling to K-Kids in a tiebreaker in the league championship.
“It’s pretty awesome. I still can’t believe it,” said Bryan, Emmaus’ third-year coach afterwards. “I’m thrilled and so happy and so proud of these kids of how hard they’ve worked this season. ”
The championship was the first since 2015 for the Hornets and it was their fourth in the last six years, with the other titles coming from 2013-2015 under former head coach Mike Mihalik.
If winning the team title wasn’t enough reason to celebrate on the day for Bryan and her squad, the Hornets also were able to enjoy one of their own having arguably the biggest day of his high school career as senior Mitch Machulsky captured the individual title.
Machulsky, who didn’t compete in last year’s championship, defeated Northampton’s Andrew Hozza in a three-hole playoff after the two tied for the low round of the day 75. Machulsky won the title on the first hole with a par, while Hozza had a bogey.
“This is honestly the best golf I’ve ever played in my life,” said Machulsky who finished with four birdies on the day (Holes 4, 6, 8 and 12). “I had a pretty solid season but nothing outstanding. There would always be one thing that would be holding me back whether it was my putting, chipping or off the tee, but these last two rounds I’ve put it all together. It’s awesome. I’m thrilled.”
Machulsky had all the confidence in the world heading into today after last week’s EPC Championships at Woodstone Country Club where he carded a 79 and finished tied for second overall with teammate, Michelle Cox, the team’s No. 1 golfer.
“He’s so calm and he has the perfect demeanor for a golfer,” said Bryan of Machulsky. “I knew he had it in him, but the question was could he could pull it off in the district championship? I guess it didn’t cross my mind that he was going to win. ”
Machulsky becomes Emmaus’ first individual boys champion since 2015 when Max Harrington took home the title at Schuylkill Country Club with a 1-over round of 73.
In addition to Machulsky’s outstanding effort, the Hornets also got a similar performance from freshman Matt Zerfass who placed fourth overall after posting a season-low score of 77. Competing in his first championship, Zerfass carded a 35 starting on the back nine and a 42 on the front
“He figured it out today,” said Bryan of her ninth-grader. ” He didn’t have a great season but he has just worked on everything. He’s doing fantastic and I hope it continues. ”
Emmaus’ No. 1 golfer, sophomore Michelle Cox, finished second overall in the girls’ race despite shooting a season-high round of 82. Cox, who finished third overall at last year’s championship with the same score, opened with a 38 on the front nine before struggling on the back with a 44.
“I didn’t play well the whole day,” said Cox of playing on her home course. “I had some good holes and some bad ones. Hole No. 12 kinda derailed me a little bit, but Olivia (Patrow of Stroudsburg, the individual champion) played really, really well. Even without the struggles I had on No. 12, I don’t know that I could have beaten her today. ”
Cox, Zerfass and Machulsky all qualify for next Monday’s PIAA East Regional at Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood.
Teammates freshman Aiden LeBlanc missed by cut by one shot with an 81, along with senior Luke Lanzone who shot 84.
Next up for Emmaus will be the PIAA Class 3A East Subregional match on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at The Steel Club in Hellertown. The Hornets will face District 12 power LaSalle College High School. The winner will advance to the PIAA Championships on Wednesday, October 24 at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.
District XI Class 3A Championships
TEAM – 1. Emmaus 315, 2. Northampton 323, Blue Mountain 341, 4. Solehi 350
INDIVIDUAL – (Top 6 advance to regionals)
- MITCH MACHULSKY, EMMAUS – 75*
- Andrew Hozza, Northampton – 75
- Connor Ghergel, Blue Mountain – 77
- MATT ZERFASS, EMMAUS – 77
- Ian Arnold, CCHS – 77
- Cole Eberling, Solehi – 79
GIRLS (Top 3 advance to regionals)
- Olivia Patrow, Stroudsburg – 72
- MICHELLE COX, EMMAUS – 82
- Sophie Orsulak, Blue Mountain – 88