If you like this type of coverage, please let us know by Following us on social media: Twitter/X – @lebcosports1 and Facebook.
For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.
Annville-Cleona Dutchmen
Lancaster Lebanon League – Section 4
Head Coach: Todd Evans – 6th season
Key Returning Players: Aidan Lezon (Sr.), Benjamin Allwein (So.), Will Kerwin (So.)
Rising Contributors: Jefferson Allwein (Fr.), Jameson Rabena (Fr.), Trey Shrefler (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Logan Francis (Naval Academy)
Season Outlook
Annville-Cleona enters 2026 with a much younger lineup after losing Logan Francis and Cian Soliday from a team that came painfully close to a pair of championships last fall.
Francis leaves behind some significant numbers after winning the L-L League Championship, finishing fourth at Districts and advancing to States. He has since moved on to continue his golf career at the Naval Academy.
Fortunately for A-C, sophomore Benjamin Allwein returns as one of Pennsylvania’s top golfers. Allwein averaged 69.8 in Section 4 matches as a freshman, finished as the District 3 Class AA runner-up and capped his debut season by placing eighth at States.
Last year’s Dutchmen narrowly lost the Section 4 race to Pequea Valley before turning around and beating the Braves to win the L-L League Class AA team title. Their season ended with another close call when they tied York Catholic at the District 3 Team Championship before losing the title and a State berth in a playoff.
This year’s lineup surrounding Allwein is extremely young. Senior Aidan Lezon is the only senior among the starters, while sophomore Will Kerwin returns after gaining valuable experience as a freshman. Freshmen Jefferson Allwein, Jameson Rabena and Trey Shrefler have all cracked the starting lineup.
Early returns have been promising. Allwein shot 73 to earn medalist honors in Tuesday’s Section 4 opener, while freshman Jefferson Allwein debuted with a 77. Kerwin and Lezon each shot 83 as A-C posted a 316 and finished 18 strokes ahead of both Lancaster Catholic and Pequea Valley.
The Dutchmen lost two important pieces, but their young lineup has already provided some evidence that A-C intends to remain in the Section 4 championship conversation.
Annville-Cleona Regular Season Match Schedule
Cedar Crest Falcons
Lancaster Lebanon League – Section 1
Head Coach: Drew Gates – 6th season
Key Returning Players: Davin Kolter (Sr.), Jackson Seidel (Sr.), Bryn Brandt (So.), Drew Gebhard (So.), Rory Smyth (So.)
Rising Contributors: Luke Usinger (Jr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Dylan Ramsey (Middle Tennessee State), Carson DiBiaso (Millersville University), Jillian Fidler (Lebanon Valley College)
Season Outlook
Cedar Crest lost two major pieces from one of the best seasons in program history, but the Falcons aren’t approaching 2026 like a team ready to rebuild.
Dylan Ramsey graduated following a career that included four Section 1 scoring titles, four L-L League runner-up finishes and three top-10 State finishes, highlighted by the 2022 PIAA championship. Carson DiBiaso also departs after playing a key role in last year’s championship lineup. Ramsey has moved on to Middle Tennessee State, while DiBiaso is continuing his career at Millersville.
Last year’s Falcons shared the Section 1 championship with Manheim Township, then edged the Blue Streaks to win the L-L League Championship. Cedar Crest finished second at Districts before earning an at-large berth to States, where the Falcons finished sixth in Pennsylvania.
Several golfers from that run are back, led by sophomore Bryn Brandt. As a freshman, Brandt averaged 76, won the District 3 Class AAA Girls Championship and finished eighth at States.
Sophomores Drew Gebhard and Rory Smyth also reached Districts last year, while seniors Jackson Seidel and Davin Kolter provide experience. Junior Kentucky transfer Luke Usinger adds another piece to the lineup.
That group has already produced an encouraging start. Cedar Crest opened Section 1 play with a 304 to edge Manheim Township by three strokes. Brandt earned medalist honors with a 71, Smyth shot 76 and Gebhard added a 77. Usinger contributed an 80 in his first match with the Falcons.
Replacing Ramsey and DiBiaso won’t be easy, but Cedar Crest’s three lowest rounds in its opener all came from sophomores. The defending L-L League champions appear to have another young core capable of keeping their championship window open.
Cedar Crest Regular Season Match Schedule
ELCO Raiders
Lancaster Lebanon League – Section 3
Head Coach: Dave Meyer – 18th season
Key Returning Players: James Dolan (Sr.), Brady Habecker (Sr.), Owen Halpin (Sr.), Grant Wenger (Sr.)
Rising Contributors: Boston Weiler (Jr.), Jackson Smeltzer (So.)
Collegiate Competitors: Brady Keath (Lebanon Valley College)
Season Outlook
Experience should be one of ELCO’s biggest assets in 2026.
The Raiders return four seniors who have spent significant time in the program. James Dolan is in his third season, while Grant Wenger, Brady Habecker and Owen Halpin are four-year members.
That group will be asked to lead ELCO following the graduation of Brett Wenger, one of the Raiders’ most consistent golfers last season.
Head coach Dave Meyer acknowledged that ELCO didn’t make the improvement he had hoped to see in 2025. This year’s seniors are aiming to change that, setting a goal of having the entire team qualify for the L-L League Championship.
Junior Boston Weiler returns after appearing in matches last season, while sophomore Jackson Smeltzer is expected to immediately become a regular contributor.
Smeltzer showed why in Tuesday’s Section 3 opener. In his varsity debut, he shot an 87 to tie Grant Wenger for ELCO’s lowest round. Habecker followed with an 89 and Dolan shot 90 as the Raiders finished with a 353.
ELCO placed fourth behind Lampeter-Strasburg, Northern Lebanon and defending champion Donegal, illustrating the challenge the Raiders face in Section 3.
Their path forward will rely on an experienced senior class continuing to improve while younger golfers such as Smeltzer and Weiler add depth. The seniors also have another goal circled for later this fall: defending ELCO’s title in the annual “Battle of the Blues” against Northern Lebanon.
ELCO Regular Season Match Schedule
Lebanon Cedars
Lancaster-Lebanon League – Section 4
Co-Head Coaches: Conor Baweic and Tommy Pearson – 1st season
Key Returning Players: Trinity Leeper (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Noah Cotto (Fr.), Landyn Strickler (Fr.)
Season Outlook
For Lebanon, the 2026 season is less about where the Cedars begin and more about where they can eventually go.
Co-head coaches Conor Baweic and Tommy Pearson take over a small, young program with no seniors and several golfers who are new to the sport. That makes development the priority as Lebanon looks to build a foundation for the future.
It’s a challenge Pearson knows well. During his years leading Lebanon’s cross country and track programs, he developed runners over time. Now, alongside Baweic, he’ll look to bring that same approach to the golf program.
Junior Trinity Leeper gives the Cedars an experienced golfer to build around. After gaining valuable varsity experience during her first two seasons, she has emerged as a leader for the young group and enters this fall with a goal of qualifying for the District 3 Championship.
Freshmen Noah Cotto and Landyn Strickler are among those getting their first varsity opportunities.
With no seniors, Lebanon isn’t measuring this season solely by wins and losses. The focus is on improving each time out, learning to enjoy the game and developing a young group that can grow together. The progress made this fall will become the foundation for something bigger in the years ahead.
Lebanon Regular Season Match Schedule
Northern Lebanon Vikings
Lancaster Lebanon League – Section 3
Head Coach: Chris George – 6th season
Key Returning Players: Drew Shireman (Jr.), Owen Bates (Jr.), Collin Padovani (Jr.), Aaron Neidig (So.), Ashton Yeager (So.)
Rising Contributors: Christian Anspach (Jr.), Blake Burdick (Jr.), Tyler Stoltz (Jr.), Braden Demler (So.), Tyler Hornberger (So.), Christian Rizzo (So.), Jacob Anspach (Fr.), Nolan Anspach (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Vincent Battistelli (Lancaster Bible College)
Season Outlook
Northern Lebanon has put together four consecutive winning seasons. Now the Vikings want to turn that consistency into their first Section 3 championship of the current run.
Junior Collin Padovani gives NL an established golfer at the top of the lineup. Padovani finished No. 2 in Section 3 last season, placed in the top five at the L-L League Championship and became Northern Lebanon’s first District qualifier in approximately a decade.
The Vikings lost two top-four golfers in Andrew Via and Aidan Long, but return starters Ashton Yeager, Drew Shireman, Owen Bates and Aaron Neidig.
There is also plenty of competition behind them. Brothers Christian, Jacob and Nolan Anspach join a group of newcomers that includes Pine Grove transfer Christian Rizzo and New Covenant student Braden Demler, along with Tyler Hornberger, Blake Burdick and Tyler Stoltz.
Some of those new faces have already made an impact.
NL shot 338 and went 4-1 in Tuesday’s Section 3 opener, finishing behind only Lampeter-Strasburg and nine strokes ahead of defending champion Donegal. Padovani earned medalist honors with a 77, while freshman Jacob Anspachdebuted with an 85. Demler shot 87 and Rizzo added an 89, giving the Vikings three newcomers among their four counting scores.
Donegal and Lampeter-Strasburg make Section 3 a difficult path, but Northern Lebanon isn’t simply looking for another winning season. With Padovani leading a young and increasingly deep lineup, the Vikings believe they’re ready to make a run at the section title.
Northern Lebanon Regular Season Match Schedule
Palmyra Cougars
Mid Penn Conference – Keystone Division
Head Coach: Tim Refi – 15th season
Key Returning Players: AJ Horowitz (Sr.), Alex Irwin (Sr.), Brady Hughes (Jr.), Zandon Russek (Jr.), Marissa Battistelli (So.), Everett Morgan (So.)
Season Outlook
Palmyra spent 2025 turning a promising young lineup into a championship team. In 2026, almost all of that group is back.
The Cougars improved from 19-23 in 2024 to 38-4 last season while capturing the Mid-Penn Keystone Division championship. Along the way, several young golfers established themselves as postseason contenders.
Sophomore Marissa Battistelli headlines that group after making program history as a freshman. Battistelli finished ninth at the District 3 Class AAA Girls Championship and became the first female golfer in Palmyra history to qualify for States.
Junior Brady Hughes also reached Districts, missing State qualification by only two strokes, while sophomore Everett Morgan gained District experience as a freshman.
Those three return alongside junior Zandon Russek and seniors AJ Horowitz and Alex Irwin, giving Palmyra an experienced core despite its youth.
The Cougars want to defend their Keystone title, improve upon last year’s 38-4 record and send more golfers into the postseason. Their first three matches suggest they’re ready to make another run.
Palmyra opened with a 6-0 performance at Iron Valley, shooting 324 behind Morgan’s 78. The Cougars followed by going 5-1 at Hershey Country Club with a 311, led by Hughes’ 75. At Colonial Country Club, they went 6-0 while dropping their team score again to 308 behind a 73 from Morgan.
That puts Palmyra at 17-1, with team scores improving from 324 to 311 to 308.
Head coach Tim Refi continues to emphasize being honorable, helpful, humble and happy while competing. But make no mistake, this is also a group with significant competitive goals.
Last season Palmyra proved its young golfers could become champions. This year, the Cougars are trying to find out just how far that group can go.
Palmyra Regular Season Match Schedule
Carriage House Car Wash
Buzgon Davis Law
ProSeal
Penn Realty
