STAC BOYS GOLF: OWEGO HAS THE NUMBERS, EXPERIENCE COULD BE A FACTOR (2024-08-26)

By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Owego will be looking to work with a combination of youth and experience when it opens the season Tuesday.

The River Hawks have 22 players signed up, 19 showing up at Monday’s first practice.

There will be a void to fill with their top two players from last year having graduated.

“Jacob Bensley returns with the most experience,” coach Chris Evans said. “He should be our No. 1. We expect solid play from Mason Grippen, Ryan Denton and Hunter Woods. Hopefully some younger players and a few of the newcomers will step up.”

Bensley was a STAC Central All-Division all-star last season and an All-Tioga County second team all-star.

“I don’t really know many of the newcomers, but I have seen Duke Snyder and Hunter Rieg (two of my basketball kids) play; they both certainly have a chance to crack the top six.”

Owego will feel the absence of Patrick Tammariello who graduated this past June. One of the River Hawks’ top players over the past few years, he was a three-time All Tioga County first team all-star. He was also an All-Region Boys Golf Super 7 selection by The Sports Reports, was named to the Greater Binghamton Elite 7 Golf Team by the Press & Sun Bulletin and was a STAC Central/East All-Conference pick.

Another hole in the line-up comes following the graduation of Talan Schumacher, who won the Section IV Class B medalist title last season and was an All-Tioga County second team pick.

STAC Central champ Chenango Forks graduated four of its six STAC all-stars. The league has 24 of its 44 all-stars returning this fall. Elmira is the defending overall champion, but Vestal returns four of its five all-stars. The Golden Bears finished one-stroke out of second place in the STAC tournament.

Maine-Endwell’s Blaise Brixner looks like the top player this season, according to Evans. He finished in the top 10 at the state championships, registered the lowest individual stroke average in STAC during the 2023 fall season, and won Nick DiNunzio Memorial and STAC medalist honors.

The DiNunzio tournament will be held Thursday at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott.

As for dual matches, Owego begins play Tuesday (Aug. 27) against Susquehanna Valley at the Conklin Players Club.

“Not sure what to expect record-wise,” Evans said. “I do know that we get started right away. It would have been nice to have started a week earlier.”

——————

PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

Print Friendly Version