Golf: LL Section 3 Opener – Northern Lebanon, ELCO Begin 2025 with Clash at Lebanon Valley; Donegal Takes Top Spot

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The 2025 L-L League Section 3 golf season teed off Tuesday at Lebanon Valley Golf Club, with local rivals ELCO and Northern Lebanon taking center stage in the season opener. Despite falling short of a top finish, both LebCo teams showed promising moments in their early-season form.

The ELCO Raiders, who hosted the match, finished fifth overall with a team score of 353, showing flashes of individual consistency. A trio of Raiders — James Dolan, Brett Wenger, and Brady Habecker — all carded solid rounds of 89, while Grant Wenger led the team with an 86. Despite the strong mid-pack performances, the Raiders struggled to keep pace with the depth displayed by their Section 3 foes.

For the Northern Lebanon Vikings, there were several encouraging signs. Finishing third overall with a team score of 343, the Vikings were led by Collin Padovani, who fired a team-best 83. The supporting cast stepped up as well — Mason Adams paced the team with an 81, while Ashton Yeager turned in a strong 88 and Aidan Long added a 91. The balanced effort gave Northern Lebanon a solid 2–2 start to the season and reason to build confidence heading into the fall stretch.

Donegal Takes the Crown

While the local teams had their moments, Donegal stole the show. Behind a dominant performance from medalist James Peterson, who shot a sizzling 73, Donegal secured the team victory with a low score of 325 — the only team to break 330 on the day. They improved to 4-0, firmly placing themselves atop the early Section 3 standings.

Also making noise were A.J. Everly (81) of Octorara and Kam Koser (80) of Lampeter-Strasburg, both of whom rounded out the top three individual scores of the day alongside Peterson.

Looking Ahead

Section 3 will return to action on September 2nd at Meadia Heights Golf Club, where teams will look to sharpen their standings and chase down undefeated Donegal. For ELCO and Northern Lebanon, it’s another chance to build momentum — and for the Raiders, a chance to rebound on the road.

Next golf getaway? Find your spot.

Team Order of Finish

1. Donegal (325)

1. James Peterson – 73
2. Andrew Fabian – 81
3. Chase Marshall – 84
4. Ryan Smeltz – 87
5. John Usner – 94
6. Tyler Bernhardt – 96

2. Lampeter-Strasburg (333)

1. Kam Koser – 80
2. Grant Filius – 81
3. Reid Shultz – 82
4. Chase Harsh – 90
5. Alex Krof – 91
6. Maddox Harsh – 96

3. Northern Lebanon (343)

1. Mason Adams – 81
2. Collin Padovani – 83
3. Ashton Yeager – 88
4. Aidan Long – 91
5. Andrew Via – 92
6. Ashton Putt – 95

4. Octorara (348)

1. A.J. Everly – 81
2. Christopher Everly – 83
3. Logan Keane – 87
4. Krater Lambert – 97
5. Paxton Groff – 99
6. Kellan Capotrio – 102

5. ELCO (353)

1. Grant Wenger – 86
2. James Dolan – 89
3. Brett Wenger – 89
4. Brady Habecker – 89
5. Tevan Marquette – 96
6. Owen Hilborn – 103

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LebCo Golf Season Outlook: 2025