Stoney Creek wins county D-II golf title; Oxford’s Piesko earns medalists honors with 66

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

PONTIAC — It’s safe to say that Rochester Stoney Creek’s boys golf team has lived in the shadows of the school’s girls program in recent years. Perhaps the Cougars made a stride of creating their own identity Monday.

Stoney Creek captured the Oakland County Division II tournament at Pontiac Municipal, putting together a play-five, count four team score of 294.

The team score is believed to be tournament school record and the Stoney Creek boys first county title. Last year the Cougars finished 25^th in Division I and were dropped down to D-II.

“We haven’t won a lot of hardware since the school started (in 2002) with boys golf,” admitted second-year head coach Ryan Slade, who was the junior varsity coach for the school’s first seven seasons before taking over the varsity last season. “This is our first county title.”

Stoney Creek’s girls team has posted several top-five finishes at the county meet and won the team title last October. Stoney Creek, with a very young roster that features two freshmen and a sophomore in the rotation, are on the rise.

Stoney Creek had four golfers break 80 and one break 70 en route to the team title. Oxford was a close second at 301, one of the Wildcats’ best tournament scores in many years, while Auburn Hills Avondale claimed third in the 23-school field with a 303 team score.

Bloomfield Hills Andover was fourth with 306 and Southfield Christian fifth at 319. Troy Athens claimed sixth (324), followed by South Lyon East (325), Farmington Harrison (334), Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (334), Waterford Kettering (336) and Waterford Mott (336) rounded out the top10.

“I hope this is a sign of good things to come,” said Slade, whose team was last in the OAA Red Division last season and did not advance out of its Division 1 district. “I think we have the capability of having a much better season. Winning the county shows that we can compete. We have a couple of seniors and some very nice young players on the team this year that we hope can help us (grow) the program.”

Robbie Szymanski was second with a one-under 69 in the individual standings, while freshman Mike Doyle shot 72, Matt Benner a 74 and Ryan Jackson 79 for the Cougars.

Oxford senior Doug Piesko, who recently signed with Lake Superior State, carded a career-best four-under round of 66 to earn medalist honors. He shot in the 80s at the county tournament last season.

“I did not play well at the county last season,” admitted Piesko, whose once shot a 68 in a practice round but had never broke 70 at a high school tournament. “This was my best round I’ve had (in high school). I thought my putts and my wedge were really working really well. I got off to a good start and just played (solid) the whole day.”

Justin Crouse shot 77, Josh Hosking 78 and Nick Hocker 80 to aid Oxford’s runner-up cause.

Blake Blomberg led Avondale with a 72, while Steven Turner, Spencer Jacobson and Troy May all shot 77 to pace the third-place Yellowjackets, who are another team that looks to be vastly improved since last season.

In the field of 115 golfers, Andover’s Matt Fellows was third with a one-over round of 71, while Avondale’s Blomberg, Stoney Creek’s Doyle and South Lyon East’s Matt Sherry all tied for fourth with 72s.

Elsewhere in the top 15, Stoney Creek’s Benner and Mott’s Austin Sereno both shot 74 to tie for seventh, Bloomfield Hills Lahser’s Johnny Fortuna, Southfield’s Jordon Bohannon and Athens’ Jeff Wang tied for ninth overall at 76, while Avondale’s Turner, Jacobson and May, Andover’s Jacob Abraham, Holly’s Christian Roberts and Oxford’s Crouse all shot 77 to tie for 12^th.

To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com.  To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com

Tags: boys golf, Oakland County Division II Tournament

Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, High School, High School (M-Z), Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester Hills Lutheran NW, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy Athens, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes