Rise and shine
Leopards鈥� Mocello gets wake-up call before winning FCCA golf title
The strategy is probably not found in any golf instructional manuals, but Jordan Mocello will take it.
The Belle Vernon senior was enjoying a few extra minutes of sleep as the bus carrying the Leopards made its way to Duck Hollow Golf Club when he was told that it was his turn to tee off on the No. 1 hole with the first group.
Despite not having any time to get several practice swings in, Mocello was able to shoot a 1-over-par 71 and win his first Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) championship Friday afternoon.
Mocello didn鈥檛 compete in last year鈥檚 tournament, as teammate Jack Edwards took home the crown. Edwards carded a 73 to finish as the FCCA runner-up.
The Leopards鈥� Landon Vacarro fired a 79 to finish in a tie for seventh place. Belle Vernon won the boys team championship with a total score of 390.
Brownsville鈥檚 Ava Rohland won the girls FCCA title for the second-straight season after she shot a 79. Rohland would have been All-County if she played in the boys division.
Mocello, who will begin his quest Monday for a third trip to the state tournament in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A individual championships, didn鈥檛 feel he played his best round, which could be attributed to jumping out of bed, or getting off a bus, and heading straight to the tee box.
鈥淲e got here very late,鈥� said Mocello referencing the limited time he and his teammates had prior to playing. 鈥淚 got off the bus and went right to the first tee. I was sleeping and my coach said to me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e on the tee,鈥� and I was like, 鈥極K.鈥� I had to just scrap together what I did for the first few holes, then turn it on.鈥�
Mocello is also eager for the WPIAL team tournament. The Leopards won the Class 2A team championship two years ago. The finals of the team tournament are held at Cedarbrook Golf Course, which is Belle Vernon鈥檚 home course.
鈥淲e have made it to the team finals my first three years of high school,鈥� Mocello said. 鈥淲e hope to be able to play in the finals again this year, especially since it is my senior year and at Cedarbrook. I could probably make it to the course and be ready to tee off if I left my house 10 minutes before tee time.鈥�
Mocello proved that he can roll out of bed, or a school bus, and win tournaments, but he doesn鈥檛 plan on cutting it so close if he and his teammates reach the district team finals for a fourth-straight time.
Edwards, who will join Mocello in the WPIAL Class 3A individual tournament, worked to stay as close to par as he could, and had a stretch where he made three of his four birdies in a row, but also dropped two shots on consecutive holes.
鈥淭he week has been going well,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淚 won this tournament last year. Jordan was playing a practice round that day, but we were glad to be able to finish in the top two. We also won the team title.
鈥淲e look forward to the team playoffs, and if we get to the finals, it will be at Cedarbrook, which is our home course. It is kind of a last hurrah for our seniors. I haven鈥檛 decided on a school, but I want to play golf in college. I hope I can have solid performances in the postseason tournaments and get into a good school because a lot of college coaches come to those tournaments.鈥�
Laurel Highlands鈥� Kayden Smith didn鈥檛 have the performance he hoped for in the WPIAL Class 3A qualifier, but the Mustang junior carded a 75 on Friday to finish in third place and secure a spot as one of the top 10 on the All-County team.
鈥淚t was nice to come here and have a turnaround after not being able to advance to the WPIAL tournament,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚 just tried to keep everything in balance and hit the ball in the middle of the green and play for pars. My individual portion of the season is over, but we still have the team playoffs, so hopefully, we can make it far in that.鈥�
Geibel Catholic鈥檚 Seth Dolan and Southmoreland鈥檚 Brady Charnesky tied for fourth place after both carded a 76. Dolan and Charnesky have qualified for the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A individual tournament.
The Falcons鈥� Ben Vojacek was sixth with a 77. Connellsville鈥檚 Michael Roscart and Nicky Farrell finished in a three-way tie with Vacarro for seventh place.
Frazier鈥檚 Mason Ritz rounded out the top 10 after firing an 80.
Rohland shaved one stroke off last year鈥檚 score. Brownsville doesn鈥檛 have a girls team, so Rohland plays for the boys team during the regular season.
鈥淚 think playing with the boys team during the regular season has helped me become a better golfer because they are better than me, and that makes me better,鈥� Rohland said. 鈥淢y irons were working for me today. I was hitting fairways, and there were a couple of holes when the driver wasn鈥檛 working, so I was hitting irons off the tee.鈥�
Rohland also plays keeper for the Lady Falcons鈥� soccer team, and she is pleased with the opportunity to play both sports.
鈥淭here are a lot of long days that come with playing golf and soccer, but I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way,鈥� Rohland said. 鈥淚 have been playing soccer ever since I could. I have only been playing golf since my eighth-grade year.鈥�
The Lady Scotties鈥� Kendall Campbell was second with a score of 86. Teammate Kearlyn Fedorko and the Lady Leopards鈥� Sydney Stark tied for third place with each carding a 95. Campbell, Fedorko and Stark have qualified for the WPIAL tournament in Class 2A.
Laurel Highlands鈥� Victoria Lutz and Uniontown鈥檚 Graci Rodeheavar tied for fourth place with a 96.
Southmoreland won the girls team championship with a score of 387.