BUFFALO TWP — Being involved in friendly competition extends beyond the group of seniors Freeport’s Justin Hildebrand usually competes against.

Hildebrand is one of five seniors on the Yellowjackets boys golf team, which is off to a 4-0 start in Section 1-AA play and seeking its first section title since 2012.

Hildebrand honed his skills over the summer by playing in the Freeport Golf League at Buffalo Golf Course with a group of senior opponents, ranging age 65 and older.

“Being that I’m younger, they have a little more experience,” said Hildebrand, who played in the league with his 68-year-old grandfather. “When I hit the ball like I do, they will hit the ball a little straighter. I have to keep up with them.”

Keeping up with his teammates is something Hildebrand will have to wrestle with during the high school season as well.

Fellow seniors Brendan Aber, Audrey Clawson, Mickey Frazetta and Nick Helman, in addition to juniors T.J. Pascucci, Denny Wuyscik and sophomore Morgan Penn constantly battle for the top spot.

“Everyone on the team makes each other better through friendly competition,” Freeport coach Joe Sprumont said. “That’s the spirit of this team.”

The Yellowjackets are 6-1 overall and fired the lowest score under Sprumont during a 191-217 win over Armstrong to start the season.

Clawson, who finished second at the Class AA WPIAL championships and third at PIAAs, has turned in the top score in five of the seven matches.

Hildebrand carded the top score twice.

Helman recorded a hole in one earlier this season.

Breaking into the lineup was Pascucci’s concern. Last season, the Yellowjacket junior golfer ended up grabbing the ninth spot, which was the first slot for the junior varsity team.

“It was a big motivating factor to getting to the varsity level this year,” Pascucci said. “The people I had ahead of me were good and it was hard competition.”

Pascucci, like many of his teammates, put in a lot of extra rounds at Buffalo Golf Course.

He worked a lot with swing coach Scott Kuntz on getting everything under control.

“Striking the ball was one thing,” Pascucci said. “Being able to get the club face to the ball was a huge part of it. Consistency was a huge part of it.”

The summer league was an opportunity to learn for Hildebrand..

The competition was an added bonus.

“I tried to treat it as practice, to fine tune my game,” he said.