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Falcons Rally from 11 Down Before Falling on Tiebreaker at Bent Creek
The Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 golf schedule took an unusual Friday turn, and Cedar Crest found itself in a position it had yet to experience this season.
For the first three section matches, the Falcons had swept the field, building a perfect 15-0 record while establishing themselves at the top of Section 1.
Friday at Bent Creek Country Club, Manheim Township’s home course, that perfect run was finally challenged.
And Cedar Crest nearly found a way to keep it going.
The Falcons trailed by as many as 11 strokes during the round before mounting a charge down the stretch. With one hole remaining, Cedar Crest had erased the entire deficit and pulled even with Township.
When all four counting scores were totaled, nothing separated the two rivals. Both finished at 310 (+30).
The match then went to the fifth-score tiebreaker, where Manheim Township prevailed, handing Cedar Crest its first Section 1 loss of the season.
Even in defeat, sophomore Bryn Brandt remained at the front of the individual leaderboard.
Brandt shot a 74 (+4) to share medalist honors with Ephrata’s Makenna Heckman and Hempfield’s Chase Gergal. It continued a remarkably consistent Section 1 season for Brandt, who has now posted rounds of 71, 73, 73, and 74 through the first four matches.
Sophomore Rory Smyth was just one stroke behind, firing a 75 (+5) to finish fourth overall.
Junior Luke Usinger provided Cedar Crest’s third counting score with an 80, while seniors Jackson Seidel and sophomore Drew Gebhard each shot 81. One of those 81s completed the Falcons’ four-player total of 310.
Senior Davin Kolter added an 83.
Manheim Township countered with four golfers inside the top 10 positions. Ian Huber led the Blue Streaks with a 76, followed by Grady Topf at 77, Connor Coxey at 78, and Jack Irons at 79. Those four rounds also totaled 310.
That left the fifth scores to decide it.
For Cedar Crest, the fifth score was the other 81 from Seidel or Gebhard. Township’s fifth golfer, Charlie Sheehan, shot an 80, giving the Blue Streaks the tiebreaker and the head-to-head victory.
Behind the two leaders, Hempfield finished third with a 320, followed by Ephrata at 343, Penn Manor at 349, and Elizabethtown at 361.
The loss ends Cedar Crest’s perfect Section 1 run, but the Falcons still leave Bent Creek at 19-1 after collecting victories over the other four section opponents.
More importantly, Friday offered another look at how tight the race between Cedar Crest and Manheim Township can become. The Falcons edged Township by three strokes in the opener, created separation in the next two matches, and then needed a tiebreaker to decide Friday’s showdown after Cedar Crest’s late rally.
They won’t have to wait long for another opportunity.
Section 1 returns to action Tuesday at Conestoga Country Club.
Team Results
| Place | Team | Score | To Par | Match Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manheim Township* | 310 | +30 | 5-0 |
| 2 | Cedar Crest | 310 | +30 | 4-1 |
| 3 | Hempfield | 320 | +40 | 3-2 |
| 4 | Ephrata | 343 | +63 | 2-3 |
| 5 | Penn Manor | 349 | +69 | 1-4 |
| 6 | Elizabethtown | 361 | +81 | 0-5 |
Cedar Crest Results
Bryn Brandt (So.) – 74 (+4), T-1st
Rory Smyth (So.) – 75 (+5), 4th
Luke Usinger (Jr.) – 80 (+10), T-11th
Jackson Seidel (Sr.) – 81 (+11), T-13th
Drew Gebhard (So.) – 81 (+11), T-13th
Davin Kolter (Sr.) – 83 (+13), T-18th
Top 10 Leaderboard
| Place | Golfer | School | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Bryn Brandt | Cedar Crest | 74 |
| T-1 | Makenna Heckman | Ephrata | 74 |
| T-1 | Chase Gergal | Hempfield | 74 |
| 4 | Rory Smyth | Cedar Crest | 75 |
| 5 | Ian Huber | Manheim Township | 76 |
| 6 | Grady Topf | Manheim Township | 77 |
| T-7 | Sonia Dumasia | Manheim Township Girls | 78 |
| T-7 | Connor Coxey | Manheim Township | 78 |
| T-9 | Phoenix Thomas | Elizabethtown | 79 |
| T-9 | Jack Irons | Manheim Township | 79 |
Full Results
Section 1 Standings
| Place | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Crest | 19-1 |
| 2 | Manheim Township | 17-3 |
| 3 | Hempfield | 14-6 |
| 4 | Penn Manor | 6-13-1 |
| 5 | Ephrata | 5-14-1 |
| 6 | Elizabethtown | 0-20 |
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