Hatboro-Horsham holds off Great Valley, advances to PAC Girls Final
LOWER GWYNEDD >> Hatboro-Horsham and Great Valley finished with identical records in PAC-10 play this season at 6-2 with Hatboro-Horsham taking the regular season matchup.
Tuesday afternoon the two teams met at Old York Road Country Club for the semifinals of the PAC-10 playoffs with an automatic trip to the District One playoffs on the line.
With the two teams being so evenly matched it was only fitting the result of the match wouldn’t be determined until the final group of the day completed its round.
“It was a dead tie (with the final group still out),” Hatboro-Horsham coach Glen Kaiser said. “You don’t see that much.”
Most of the girls were visibly unpleased with their scores coming in but it was Cassidy Gavaghan’s 44 that helped boost the Hatters to a 209-214 win as they advanced to the championship, squaring off with undefeated Downingtown West on Thursday at Macoby Run.
Although Gavaghan’s 44 was the best of the day it was actually a Annie Griffiths 55 in the final grouping that notched the win for the Hatters.
For whatever reason players from both teams struggled to hit shots as trees, other shrubbery and water hazards surrounding the course ate up, deflected and redirected plenty of errant attempts.
“Today the golf course just ate up the girls,” Kaiser said. “Scores were bad in the other semifinal match. The long layoff, we had a week off that hurts. There were a lot of factors going in. For us to get solid play 1-8 that’s amazing.”
Great Valley’s Liv Juliana navigated the course most effectively for the Patriots as her 48 gave her a team best mark on the day. Right behind Juliana, Amanda Hutchinson and Allison West cared 55s while Kelly Brown was right there with a 56.
“I think the girls played well, they were all pretty consistent,” Great Valley coach Owen Brown said. “The last group Hatboro had a girls that reduced their score by five and knock us out.
The season might not yet be finished for Great Valley. Its fate now lies out of its hands as it waits to see if an at large bid to the District One playoff is in its cards.
“We’re hoping to get in,” Brown said. “We had to win today to automatically get in. Our score from the PAC-10 is certainly good enough to qualify us and hopefully our scores all year long prove we deserve a chance to be in there.”
Hatboro-Horsham 209, Great Valley 214
Hatboro-Horsham (209): Cassidy Gavaghan 44; Hailey Philips 51; Shelia Fisher 57; Annie Griffiths 57.
Great Valley (214): Liv Juliana 48; Amanda Hutchinson 55; Allison West 55; Kelly Brown 56.
