CHAMBERSBURG – It was guaranteed to be a pivotal Mid-Penn Colonial Division varsity golf competition.
A Waynesboro loss and a Northern win would have all but clinched the league championship for the Polar Bears and an end to Waynesboro’s four-year dominance.
A Waynesboro win would have clinched at least a tie for the division with one meet remaining – at Range End in Dillsburg.
In a strange twist, Waynesboro did indeed win Tuesday’s meet at the par-73, 6,201-yard Chambersburg Country Club. But Northern finished third – behind Shippensburg – and head coach Ryan Henderson’s team jumped into first place.
“We only beat Shippensburg by one stroke,” said Henderson, whose squad was led once again by Tyler Fortney, who carded a 76. “However, Waynesboro and Shippensburg beat Northern. That means we now have a one-game advantage going into the final match on Tuesday. As long as we finish no worse than second, we will secure a co-championship. If we win at Northern, we will win the division title outright.”
Waynesboro finished with a season-best 326. In addition to Fortney’s top overall effort, Kellan Smith shot 81, followed by Stone Taylor with a solid 82. Andrew Soffe closed out the Waynesboro scoring with 87.
The standings are as follows: Waynesboro 33-3, Northern 32-4, Shippensburg 25-11, Gettysburg 15-21, Greencastle-Antrim 15-21, James Buchanan 4-32, Big Spring 2-34.
Greencastle’s Cooper Swam and Shippensburg’s Ben Horgos tied for second best overall with 79. Smith and Northern’s Garrett White tied for fourth with 81.
Taylor finished in a four-way tie for sixth place.
