A-C Valley/Union’s Joe Rapp defends District 9 golf gold, Moniteau girls win team title
Joe Rapp’s second gold medal in the District 9 Class 2A Individual Boys Golf Championship came a lot easier than the first.
The A-C Valley/Union senior shot a 7-under 135 over two days last week at Bavarian Hills Golf Course in Elk County, dominating the field by 12 strokes to defend his district title and make it to the PIAA championships later this month.
That effort was a significant improvement on his 147 a year ago, when he won by three strokes.
“A lot closer last year,” Rapp said on the phone Monday. “This time a little more stress-free.”
Rapp said his first district title felt “a little better” because it was his first, but he felt more confident on the course this year.
His short game’s been good all year, he said, and the driver and hybrid clicked during districts after struggling with those parts of his game during the regular season.
The biggest stretch of the tournament came when he birdied the final three holes of Round 1 to take a commanding eight-shot lead. Saturday, he birdied on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 to finish strong again.
“Just staying out of trouble, minimizing mistakes,” Rapp said. “Last year taught me the bogeys aren’t gonna kill me.”
Next up is a return to Penn State Golf Courses Oct. 19-20. Rapp in past years simply wanted to qualify, but “this year it feels a little different. It just feels like I have more of a shot. The goal is definitely top five, top 10, around there.”
On Monday, Moniteau’s girls team won the Class 2A district title with a collective 324, 28 strokes better than A-C Valley, at Punxsutawney Country Club. Warriors’ senior Hayden Hilliard led the way with a 100, finishing fifth.
Head coach Sue Scialabba said on the phone that Hilliard’s goal was 100 or better. While Hilliard was the top finisher in fifth, Moniteau claimed four of the top 10 spots.
“That’s what it’s been all year. We’ve not had the top two in any match all year,” Scialabba said. “We just have a good group that can pick each other up when someone has a bad day.”
It is the fourth D9 title for the Warriors since 2021 and the first since the program won three straight ending in 2023. Moniteau did not qualify for states — it had to shoot 300 or better — so the seniors ended their careers as district champions.
“That’s what it was all about, and that’s what we’ve been talking about all week,“ Scialabba said.
“It was another good win for the program.“
ACV’s Kennedy Kinney, a freshman, shot a 91 for fourth. Kinney missed qualifying for states by three shots.
