Scranton Prep, Abington Heights, Riverside, Lackawanna Trail and Holy Redeemer were all championship golf teams last season and all won season-opening matches Friday.
The degree of difficulty, however, varied.
Wyoming Area and Wallenpaupack gave Holy Redeemer and Abington Heights tough matches in losses that could still bode well for each team.
Holy Redeemer went to Fox Hill Country Club and came away with a 183-190 win over Wyoming Area to open defense of its Wyoming Valley Conference Division 3 title.
Abington Heights, the defending District 2 Class 3A champion, played at home on the front nine at Glen Oak Country Club where it turned back Wallenpaupack, 5½-3½, in a Lackawanna League Division 1 match.
Lackawanna Trail, which had played a non-league match Thursday, became the first District 2 team to reach 2-0 overall when it opened defense of its Lackawanna Division 3 title with a 9-0 sweep of Old Forge at Pine Hills.
Scranton Prep, the 2020 Lackawanna Division 1, District 2 Class 2A and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state Class 2A champion, began its season with an 8-1 divisional victory over Honesdale.
Riverside, the defending Lackawanna Division 2 champ, downed Holy Cross, 8-1.
Holy Redeemer used extreme balance to get past Wyoming Area.
Alex Marin shot a 45 to lead the Royals.
Three teammates – John Tondora, Conner Gilbert and Ethan Gribble – each shot 46.
Wyoming Area’s Brady Noone was medalist with a 42.
Wallenpaupack, which had its 2020 season end in an 8½-½ league playoff loss at Abington Heights, made it much more interesting this time around despite the Comets again being on their home course and playing with four returning starters from the team that placed fifth in the state in Class 3A.
Kevin Wortman was medalist with a 1-under-par, 35 to sweep his singles and better-ball points and help the Buckhorns take 2½ of three points in the first foursome.
Abington Heights pulled out the win with five of the six points in the last two foursomes, led by Michael Marion’s even-par, 36 with the help of two birdies.
“It was a grind,” Abington Heights coach Frank Summa said.
Marion won in both singles and better-ball.
Luke Morgan and Bryce Florey took all three points in the last foursome, each winning 4 and 3 individually and also as better-ball partners.
Also in Lackawanna Division 1, North Pocono followed up a second-place finish Thursday at the Happy Valley Invitational by beating Valley View, 7½-1½.
Lackawanna Trail rolled over Old Forge, clinching eight of the nine points after just six of nine holes.
Brayden Jones took it a step further, winning the first five holes to lock up his singles point and teaming with Michael Bluhm for a 4-and-3 win in better ball.
Mid Valley spoiled Carbondale’s return to competition after a year off for COVID-19 when it posted a 9-0 shutout in the other Lackawanna Division 3 match.
In addition to Riverside, West Scranton and Dunmore posted wins in Lackawanna Division 2.
West Scranton, which tied for last in the six-team division in 2020, knocked off last season’s second-place team with a 5-4 victory over Delaware Valley.
Dunmore downed Scranton, 6½-2½.
Blue Ridge defeated Elk Lake, 7-2, in Lackawanna Division 4.
Tyler Rockwell and Hanna McCarthy swept the three points in the first foursome while Joe Curtis and Conner Sauer did the same in the last foursome.
Crestwood downed Berwick, 170-217, in WVC Division 2.
GIRLS
Elk Lake and Riverside posted victories.
Chloe Sipe shot a 3-over-par, 39 on the Glen Oak front nine to lead Elk Lake to a 142-146 victory over Abington Heights.
Reese Warriner added a 47 and Paige Keeney completed the team score with a 56 for Elk Lake, the defending District 2 Class 2A champion.
Liz Franchetti shot a 45, Sophia Policare 50 and Rose Peters 51 for Abington Heights.
Riverside defeated Holy Cross, 151-157, at Pine Hills.
Jennifer Genell led the Lady Vikes with a 44.
Julia Goetz from Holy Cross was medalist with 43.
