Thanks to the latest realignment in the Mid-Penn Conference, Chambersburg’s golf squad will be trading the rugged grind of the Commonwealth Division for a more regional approach in the Colonial Division.
When the Trojans tee off their season on Aug. 17 at Waynesboro Country Club, they’ll be competing in a division that includes Gettysburg, Greencastle-Antrim, Waynesboro, Northern York and Shippensburg. Chambersburg, expected to bring back a deep roster of experienced golfers, has to like its chances to do damage in its new division.
Don’t expect the Tribe and Blue Devils to make it easy for the Trojans. Waynesboro and Greencastle both return serious talent that very well make them contenders in the division.
Fairfield will also be playing in a new division of sorts, as they take on the South Central Athletic Conference Division III. The Knights will face new and old foes alike with a lineup that includes three district qualifiers and one state qualifier.
In Maryland, it seems like there may finally be a squad that can challenge the Boonsboro Warriors, Washington County’s nine-time defending team champion. We believe that contender is North Hagerstown. The Hubs, spearheaded by the county’s top returning girl in Delaney Fuss, return several key pieces from a squad that went 31-19-1 last season.
Fuel up those golf carts, it’s almost time to get started.
Stick with LocalNews1.org in the days and weeks to come as we continue to preview the fall sports season before it kicks off next month.
Below are team-by-team preview capsules for the 2026 high school golf season:
Waynesboro Tribe
Coach: Ryan Henderson
Division: Mid-Penn Colonial
Last season: 15-27 (6th in Colonial Division)
Top projected returners: Abby Byers (Sr.), Caiden Shacreaw (Sr.), Landon Crable (Sr.), Rylan Nichols (Sr.)
Meet the Tribe: With the return of four proven senior starters — including Abby Byers, a multiple-time District 3-3A qualifier — it’s easy to get excited about coach Ryan “Hendu” Henderson’s squad … Byers, who doubles as the starting goalkeeper for Waynesboro’s soccer team, took fifth at last year’s Mid-Penn Championships with an 85 and placed 13th at districts after carding a 92-89-181 … Caiden Shacreaw is projected to return after carrying an 81.7 scoring average and shooting an 87 at the Mid-Penn Championships Qualifier … Also expected to come back this fall are Landon Crable (83.57 average) and Rylan Nichols (85.86), both of whom shot better than their average at the Mid-Penn Championships Qualifier, with Crable shooting an 82 and Nichols firing an 80 … With this group of returners, look for the Tribe to return to their winning form from 2024, when they went 22-20.
Coach’s comments: Henderson said, “I’m happy to have my core four returning.”
Opener: Monday, Aug. 17, Mid-Penn Colonial Meet at Waynesboro Country Club
Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils
Coach: Jeremy Eby
Division: Mid-Penn Colonial
Last season: 20-22 (5th in Colonial Division)
Top projected returners: Camden Eby (Sr.), Bryce Davidson (Sr.), Carter Sobol (Sr.), Jex McDowell (Jr.)
Meet the Blue Devils: Greencastle could be in for a winning season with the projected return of four solid starters, including Camden Eby, who carried the best scoring average (79.33) in the LocalNews1.org coverage area last season … Bryce Davidson, one of the heroes of the Blue Devils’ run to a PIAA Class 5A state championship in baseball last spring, should be back on the golf course this fall after posting an 84.0 average in 2025 … Carter Sobol, who doubles as an ice hockey player for the Hagerstown Bulldogs, brings back an 89.17 average … With the graduation of Landon Summers (87.43 average) and Conner Wihide, the Blue Devils will be counting on a level-up from Jex McDowell, who recorded an 89.60 average from last season … If all goes according to plan, Greencastle can duplicate or even improve upon its last winning season, a 22-20 campaign in 2024.
Opener: Monday, Aug. 17, Mid-Penn Colonial Meet at Waynesboro Country Club
Chambersburg Trojans
Coach: Mark Yost
Division: Mid-Penn Colonial
Last season: 3-27 (t-5th in Commonwealth Division)
Top projected returners: Kole Peiffer (Jr.), Abby Rensch (Jr.), Mason Lehman (Jr.), Bryce Deneen (Sr.), Casen Johnson (Sr.), Max Piper, Colby Miller, Talan Martin, Kasen Shaffer.
Meet the Trojans: Following a three-win campaign last fall, Chambersburg will try its luck in the Mid-Penn Colonial Division this season … The Trojans graduate three key golfers from their lineup in Tommy Johnston (85.75 average), Aedan Walker (86.0), and Colton Cornwell (92.0), but there are plenty of others on the team that got varsity reps last season and should make an impact … Chambersburg won’t finalize its roster until after tryouts on Aug. 10, but look for juniors Kole Peiffer and Mason Lehman to lead the way for the Trojans … Peiffer led Chambersburg with an 84.83 scoring average and was his team’s top performer at the Mid-Penn Championships Qualifier, an event where he fired a 79 … Lehman posted an 89.17 average … The rest of the Trojans’ lineup is wide open, and competition for those spots could be fierce, as projected returners include Kasen Shaffer (89.5), Talan Martin (90.5), Bryce Deneen (94.5), Max Piper (94.67), Colby Miller (95.2), Casen Johnson (97.0), and Abby Rensch …
Opener: Monday, Aug. 17, Mid-Penn Colonial Meet at Waynesboro Country Club
Fairfield Knights
Coach: Zachary Woodward
Division: South Central Athletic Conference Division III
Last season: 16-9 (2nd in YAIAA III)
Top projected returners: Isabelle Studli (Jr.), Aden Frank (Jr.), Charlie Sweeney (So.), Riley Brown (Sr.), Henry Jones (So.), Carter Sanders (Jr.), Matt Fisher (Jr.)
Top newcomers: Hayden Krichten (Fr.), Hunter Miller (Fr.)
Meet the Knights: Fairfield’s competition will look a little different this fall as the team makes the transition from the YAIAA to the South Central Athletic Conference … The Knights will now play in a Division III that includes the likes of Bermudian Springs, Big Spring, Hanover, James Buchanan, New Oxford, and York Tech … Fairfield will be looking to take the next step after finising as division runner-up in each of the last two seasons … The Knights could be in contention with a key group of returners led by Isabelle Studli … A two-time state state qualifier as an underclassman, Studli is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw her finish as the District 3-2A runner-up (83-82-165) and take 18th at states (83-81-164) … Aden Frank and Charlie Sweeney also made an impression as underclassmen, with both golfers making it to the second day of the district tournament. Frank took 11th at districts after carding a 79-84-181, while Sweeney took sixth in the girls district meet by shooting a 97-101-198 … Fairfield’s success on the golf course will likely depend on how well it can round out the rest of its starting lineup, which no longer features the graduated Vaughn Lewis. The remaining spots are up for grabs with a group that includes veterans Riley Brown, Henry Jones, Carter Sanders, and Matt Fisher, and newcomers Hayden Krichten and Hunter Miller.
Coach’s comments: Woodward said, “The Knights are looking to build on last season’s success with returning two-time state qualifier Isabelle Studli, also Aden Frank and Charlie Sweeney, who made it to Day 2 of the PIAA District 3 tournament. The team’s goal this year is to win the conference and compete as a team in the District 3 Team Qualifier and Tournament.”
Opener: Thursday, Aug. 13, vs. Delone Catholic at Chambersburg Country Club
N. Hagerstown Hubs
Coach: Justin Lewis
Classification: District 1 Class 4A-3A
Last season: 31-19-1
Top projected returners: Delaney Fuss (Sr.), Sadie Morton (Sr.), Tristan Stiffler (Jr.), Keegan Warrick (Jr.)
Meet the Hubs: Simply put, North Hagerstown has the firepower to do significant in the regular season and postseason alike … The Hubs are spearheaded by Delaney Fuss, the favorite to win the Washington County girls meet. Last season, Fuss carried a 38.3 scoring average and shot a 79 — the best full round of her career — to finish as the county runner-up. Fuss went on to shoot an 81 at the District 1 4A-3A Meet, before posting a 91 at states … Fuss will be flanked by senior Sadie Morton (42.2 average) and junior Tristan Stiffler (42.4), two golfers who got a good taste of the 2025 postseason … Morton shot an 84 to take third at the county girls meet and shot an 83 at the District 1 4A-3A tourney, before capping off her season at states with an 86-87-173 for 17th place … Stiffler carded an 85 at the county meet … Keegan Warrick was a starter for the Hubs last season and is projected to return for his junior year … Coach Justin Lewis will need to fill the holes left by the graduation of Ethan Jennings and Grant Semler, but if he can do that, perhaps this will be the year the Hubs can contend for the county against Boonsboro, which has won nine-straight team titles.
Opener: Thursday, Aug. 27, at Black Rock Golf Course
S. Hagerstown Rebels
Coach: N/A
Classification: District 1 Class 4A-3A
Last season: 19-24-1
Top projected returners: Jack Burns (Sr.), Braden Sirbaugh (Sr.)
Meet the Rebels: South Hagerstown has plenty of holes to fill, possibly including the position of head coach … Aaron Kelly held the position for multiple years, but the school was accepting applicants for the job in May … Two months later in July, the vacancy is currently listed as “not available,” although South Hagerstown has not yet formally named a new head coach … Whoever the coach is, the first order of business will be replacing the formidable 1-2 punch of Luke Leisinger and RJ Liriano, both of whom were lost to graduation … Leisinger, the 2024 county champion, is now playing at Shepherd University … The Rebels will be looking for leadership from seniors Jack Burns and Braden Sirbaugh, both of whom helped lead South Hagerstown to a third-place team finish at the county meet last fall … Burns carried a 44.8 scoring average and shot a 93 at the county meet before firing a 78 at the District 1 4A-3A tourney … Sirbaugh also competed at the county and district meets and posted scores of 86 and 95, respectively.
Opener: Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Clustered Spires Golf Club
Smithsburg Leopards
Coach: Darren Weaver
Classification: District 1 Class 2A-1A
Last season: 21-34
Top projected returners: Ben Kirchner (So.), Ty Cobb (So.)
Meet the Leopards: Smithsburg got a shot of excitement from the play of freshmen Ben Kirchner and Ty Cobb, both of whom are projected to return this season … Kirchner, a CMC Small School First Team selection, carried a 43.2 scoring average. He shot a team-best 84 at Washington County meet, before recording an 87 at the District 1 2A-1A tourney … Cobb, who held a 45.6 average, shot an 88 at the county meet and 83 at districts … Daniel Partlow and Ryan Darr have both graduated, meaning the Leopards will have some spots to fill if they hope to match or improve upon last year’s fourth-place team finish at the county meet.
Opener: Thursday, Aug. 20, at Black Rock Golf Course
