The Rockbridge County High School golf team started the season with a win on Monday of last week in Waynesboro before placing fourth of 12 teams at the John Scott Memorial Heritage Invitational on Thursday in Forest.
In their season opener – their first match under new head coach Garret Huffman –the Wildcats began Shenandoah District action by shooting a 329 at Orchard Creek Golf Course to eke out the win over Staunton, which tallied a 333. Wilson Memorial (341) placed third of nine teams, while Waynesboro (343) finished fourth, and Fort Defiance (345) came in fifth. Rounding out the standings were Riverheads (367), Alleghany (370), Buffalo Gap (411) and Stuarts Draft (432).
Huffman said it was “overall a great start to the season” for the Wildcats.
Waynesboro’s Jaxson Devereux was the individual winner, shooting a 70 on the 18-hole, par-70 course. Leading the Wildcats and placing second overall was senior Dean Fafatas, firing a 74.
RC’s second scorer was senior Harrison Tanner, posting an 82, while sophomore teammate Joe Vargas carded an 84. Sophomore Davis Welsh completed the Wildcats’ team scoring with an 89. Also competing for RC were sophomore Parker Flint, shooting 91, and Fin Looney, garnering a 94. Huffman said both golfers had strong finishing stretches.
RC Fourth of 12
Facing tough competition outside of the district on a long, difficult course, the Wildcats shot a 335 to place fourth of 12 teams at the John Scott Memorial Heritage Invitational on Thursday at London Downs Golf Club in Forest.
The winning team was Tunstall with a 305, while Jefferson Forest (309) placed second, and Appomattox (323) finished third. Following the Wildcats in the standings were Rustburg (337), E.C. Glass (340), Brookville (348), Halifax County (349), Amherst County (357), Magna Vista (364), Liberty (391) and Heritage (395).
Amherst County’s Caitlyn Baxter was the medalist, firing a 68 on the 18-hole, par-72 course, while Tunstall’s Colton Payne placed second with a 71, and Jefferson Forest’s Conner Lamanna (72) finished third.
Fafatas again led the Wildcats, shooting a 79, while Tanner followed closely with an 80. Vargas was RC’s third scorer, carding an 87, highlighted by a nice birdie on a long par-3 across water. Huffman said Vargas “played a great round of golf.”
Looney shot an 89, with a strong finish in the last few holes. Also competing for RC was Welsh, posting a 98.
The Wildcats were scheduled to return to Shenandoah District action with an 18-hole match on Monday at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. They’ll travel for a nine-hole nondistrict match next Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Lakeview Golf Club in Harrisonburg, starting at 4:15 p.m.
