By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
LAPLACE – The Riverside Academy golf team captured second place at the Division III Region III regional golf tournament Tuesday at Santa Maria Golf Club in Baton Rouge.
The Rebels posted a team score of 334. University captured the regional championship with a team score of 306. Newman placed third with a team score of 335.
With the second place finish, Riverside qualified to play in the Class 2A State Championship tournament at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport.
That tournament will be played Monday and Tuesday.
Riverside golf coach Roy Aubert was pleased with his team performance in the
regional tournament.
“We played a practice round at Santa Maria the day before the regional tournament and posted a team score of 313,” said Aubert.
“I had seen the results of the district tournament that U-High played in and felt confident that we could do well in the regional tournament”.
Sean Flynn posted a score of 74 at Santa Maria with a front nine score of 34 and a back nine score of 40.
“This course plays to the strongest part of his game” said Aubert. “Sean was hitting his drive great and on the par 4’s it was drive and a wedge to the green.”
Deuce Wallace posted a score of 81 and Cory Costanza posted a score of 86. Chase Wallace posted a score of 93 and Austin Glidden rounded out the Riverside scoring with a 99. The top four scores are used for the team score.
St. Charles Catholic fell just short of qualifying as a team for the regional, edged by Patterson on a sudden death playoff hole at the district championship.
But two individual Comets, Cameron Emile Cupit and Cameron Torres, qualified for the regional championships.
Cupit shot 95 at district while Torres shot 97.
At the regional championship, Torres shot 88 and Cupit shot 97.
Neither made the cut to advance to state, but St. Charles golf coach Gary Zeringue said he was proud of the two sophomores and of his team as a whole after a trying season.
Zeringue missed most of the season recovering from surgery, and his team was a young one boasting just two senior and no juniors. Despite that, the Comets nearly finished in the top four of a very competitive district.
“It’s a great experience for (Cupit and Torres),” said Zeringue. “Any time you have a player or players go to regionals, it’s a great thing for them and for your program.”
Zeringue credited support from team parents and from Aubert, who lent a helping hand in a season that saw the Rebels and Comets play one another in numerous matches. He also credited fellow SCC coach Tim Falter for stepping up in Zeringue’s stead.
“He did a tremendous job,” said Zeringue.
The coach said he was excited for his team’s future prospects, with 10 of 12 players set to return.
“We should be in great shape for next year,” said Zeringue.