Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: Burrell’s Hubbard eyes PIAAs

By: Doug Gulasy
Saturday, October 13, 2018 | 11:06 PM

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Tiger Hubbard’s first trip to the PIAA Western Regional boys golf championship ended with the Burrell golfer two shots shy of a trip to the state finals, and the senior thinks he can pinpoint the holes where it happened.

“The main issue I had was with my driver where the holes got a little tighter,” Hubbard said of holes 2-4 at Toms Run Golf Course in Chestnut Ridge, which are set down in a valley. “That was really what made my scores go up.”

Two years beyond that day, Hubbard is ready to attack Toms Run again as he returns to the PIAA Western Regional on Monday with the hopes of qualifying for the state championship for the first time.

The top 22 golfers at the regional make it through to the PIAA individual championships Oct. 22 and 23 at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.

“My swing’s feeling good, my drives have been excellent and I’m feeling really good going in,” Hubbard said. “I think I can put up some good numbers.

“I feel I’m honing in on (my game), and I’m getting real close to make my scores a lot better. It’s just getting more experience and learning different shots to play and working on my putting.”

Hubbard finished just shy of qualifying for the regional last year, but he’s playing some of his strongest golf of the season now. He finished eighth at the WPIAL individual championships and shot a 2-over-par 74 in the WPIAL Class AA team semifinals last week at Meadowink Golf Course.

Given the recent results and experience the past two years playing on the Advocates Professional Golf Tour, Hubbard feels ready to tackle Toms Run again. He played a practice round at the course Saturday.

“Playing with a lot of the guys out (on the tour) who are older than me, just kind of getting tips from them, has really helped me develop mentally and develop me when I’m playing,” he said.

Great Lakes

Deer Lakes made some girls soccer school history last week when the Lancers beat Apollo-Ridge, clinching their first section title.

In a span of four seasons, Deer Lakes (13-1-1, 10-0-1 Section 2-AA) went from worst to first in the section. The Lancers, who won 12 games combined from 2013-15, exceeded that total before Saturday’s nonsection game against Shady Side Academy.

“To think where we were then and where we are now, it just shows you that you keep playing, you keep plugging away and you keep putting work in, (it pays off),” coach Frank Accetta said. “That’s what we kept doing … we said the only way we’re going to get anywhere with this program is if we put in work in the offseason.”

Deer Lakes, which last season qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2011, was outscoring teams 68-17 before Saturday, including 49-10 in section play.

“I’m just glad for the first time ever, they can walk into their gymnasium during winter time, look up and see a banner there,” Accetta said.

Spring forward

Springdale faced a rough final week of the regular season: four Section 1-A games in four days, including contests against Class A No. 2 Shady Side Academy and No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic.

The Dynamos acquitted themselves well, winning three of four games. There were blowout wins over Riverview and Jeannette, a 3-1 victory over Shady Side that was their biggest of the season to that point and a 1-0 loss to Greensburg Central Catholic in a game Springdale coach Jerry Concannon said he felt his team controlled the action.

“We’re closing the gap,” Concannon said of his playoff-bound team, adding he believes the performances proved Springdale can play with anyone.

After a 1-3 start, Springdale (8-6, 6-4) had won seven of 10 through Thursday. Concannon said held some players out of Wednesday’s match against Jeannette to preserve them for the game against Shady Side Academy the next day, and the tactic paid off. After SSA took the early lead, Miranda Shock tied the score for the Dynamos before halftime, and Jaden Domaratz scored two goals late in the second half off assists from Sydni Henley to give them the win.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Doug at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review Staff Writer. You can contact Doug at 412-388-5830, dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Burrell, Deer Lakes, Springdale