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McCoy Valley Golfer Of Year He And Freshman Welsh Advance To Regionals
Rockbridge County High School senior golfer Andrew McCoy and freshman Davis Welsh qualified for the Region 3C tournament and led the Wildcats to a second-place finish in the final Valley District match of the season on Monday of last week at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
McCoy placed second overall, overcoming windy conditions to fire a 75 on the challenging 18-hole, par-70 course. He trailed only Spotswood’s Jackson Baugher, who won with a 74. Adding up the district’s six regular- season matches, McCoy was declared the individual district champion and the Valley District golfer of the year.
Proud of his senior captain, RC head coach David Miller said, “Andrew had a wonderful regular season and did it with such class and style.” Miller said he was prouder of McCoy’s leadership and sportsmanship than his golf, but added that all “are amazing.”
The top two teams in the district and the top five individuals outside of those teams will advance to the Region 3C tournament, which will take place at Heritage Oaks on Tuesday, starting at 10 a.m.
The Wildcats placed second of eight teams with a 326, trailing only Spotswood’s 312. Turner Ashby placed third, but Spotswood and TA were the two advancing teams because of their strong results throughout the season.
The big surprise for the Wildcats was freshman Davis Welsh, who shot a 79, a career- best score by seven strokes. “Davis has really been working and improving and does it the right way,” said Miller.
Turning in RC’s third score was junior Dean Fafatas, carding an 81 to just miss advancing. Miller said Fafatas “had a great finish and could be a major factor in next year’s new district.” The Wildcats will move to the Shenandoah District next year.
The Wildcats’ fourth scorer was sophomore Finbar Looney, who posted a 91. Also competing for the Wildcats were freshman Joe Vargas and junior Harrison Tanner. Commending Vargas for his progress, Miller said he was “really proud of his hard work and improvement throughout the season.” Miller said Tanner “didn’t have his best day, but he has a new district to get ready for next year, and I know he will be ready.”
From the Region 3C tournament, the top three teams and the top three individuals outside of those teams will compete in the Class 3 state tournament, also at Heritage Oaks, on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
The Wildcats, who have a winning record in their last five district matches, were scheduled to play their final district match on Monday at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg. Last year, McCoy narrowly missed advancing to the state tournament, placing fourth at the Region 3C tournament.
