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Falcons Rally to Edge Township by One, Move to Brink of Section 1 Title
Four days after Cedar Crest mounted a furious comeback against Manheim Township only to lose on a fifth-score tiebreaker, the Falcons found themselves battling the Blue Streaks again.
This time, Cedar Crest finished the comeback.
Playing Tuesday at Penn Manor’s home course, Conestoga Country Club, the Falcons rallied during the closing stretch to post a 307 (+27), edging Manheim Township’s 308 (+28) by a single stroke.
Hempfield was right behind at 310, followed by Penn Manor at 348, Ephrata at 354, and Elizabethtown at 357. Manheim Township’s girls team also competed Tuesday but did not count in the Section 1 team results.
The victory was Cedar Crest’s fourth Section 1 win in five matches and moved the Falcons to 24-1 with just one section match remaining.
And once again, sophomore Bryn Brandt was at the center of it.
Brandt fired an even-par 70 to earn outright medalist honors, finishing five strokes ahead of Manheim Township’s Ian Huber and Charlie Sheehan, who each shot 75.
It was Brandt’s lowest Section 1 round of the season, bettering the 71 she shot in the opener at Sunset Golf Club. Through five section matches, she has now posted rounds of 71, 73, 73, 74, and 70.
Behind Brandt, Cedar Crest needed contributions throughout the lineup to complete the comeback.
Junior Luke Usinger, sophomore Rory Smyth, and senior Jackson Seidel each shot 79. With Brandt’s 70 leading the way, those three matching rounds combined to give the Falcons their 307.
Sophomore Drew Gebhard added an 82, while senior Davin Kolter finished with a 91.
Township again made Cedar Crest earn every bit of the victory. Huber and Sheehan led the Blue Streaks with matching 75s, Joe Bilson shot 77, and Jack Irons added an 81. Those four rounds produced Township’s 308.
That left just one stroke separating the rivals.
For Cedar Crest, the result was especially satisfying considering what happened Friday at Bent Creek. In that match, the Falcons erased a deficit that reached 11 strokes and tied Township at 310, only to lose when the fifth score was used as the tiebreaker.
Tuesday brought another rally, but no tiebreaker was necessary.
The Falcons’ 307 was enough to take down the Blue Streaks by one and add another five head-to-head victories to their Section 1 record.
More importantly, the victory puts Cedar Crest firmly in the driver’s seat to capture the Section 1 championship.
The Falcons enter the final match with a 24-1 record, three victories ahead of Manheim Township at 21-4. Hempfield sits third at 17-8.
That sets the stage for one final trip around the section.
There won’t be much time to savor Tuesday’s dramatic victory, as Cedar Crest and the rest of Section 1 return to the course tomorrow at Four Seasons Golf Club. With five matches in the books and the Falcons holding the advantage, Cedar Crest will have an opportunity to finish the job and bring home the Section 1 championship.
Team Results
| Place | Team | Score | To Par | Match Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Crest | 307 | +27 | 5-0 |
| 2 | Manheim Township | 308 | +28 | 4-1 |
| 3 | Hempfield | 310 | +30 | 3-2 |
| 4 | Penn Manor | 348 | +68 | 2-3 |
| 5 | Ephrata | 354 | +74 | 1-4 |
| 6 | Elizabethtown | 357 | +77 | 0-5 |
Cedar Crest Results
Bryn Brandt (So.) – 70 (E), 1st
Luke Usinger (Jr.) – 79 (+9), T-8th
Rory Smyth (So.) – 79 (+9), T-8th
Jackson Seidel (Sr.) – 79 (+9), T-8th
Drew Gebhard (So.) – 82 (+12), T-16th
Davin Kolter (Sr.) – 91 (+21), 25th
Top 10 Leaderboard
| Place | Golfer | School | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Brandt | Cedar Crest | 70 |
| T-2 | Ian Huber | Manheim Township | 75 |
| T-2 | Charlie Sheehan | Manheim Township | 75 |
| T-4 | Owen Knouse | Hempfield | 76 |
| T-4 | Landon Chandler | Hempfield | 76 |
| T-6 | Joe Bilson | Manheim Township | 77 |
| T-6 | Makenna Heckman | Ephrata | 77 |
| T-8 | Luke Usinger | Cedar Crest | 79 |
| T-8 | Rory Smyth | Cedar Crest | 79 |
| T-8 | Jackson Seidel | Cedar Crest | 79 |
| T-8 | Grady Quinn | Penn Manor | 79 |
| T-8 | Chase Gergal | Hempfield | 79 |
Full Results
Section 1 Standings
| Place | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Crest | 24-1 |
| 2 | Manheim Township | 21-4 |
| 3 | Hempfield | 17-8 |
| 4 | Penn Manor | 8-16-1 |
| 5 | Ephrata | 6-18-1 |
| 6 | Elizabethtown | 0-25 |
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