By repeating as the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament champions, the Potomac School Panthers achieved two goals. The high-school golf team wanted to win, of course, but also validate and prove its 2019 title was no fluke.
The Panthers won this season’s 18-hole crown with a strong 296 team score, led by a 1-over 71 by individual champion Teddy Ross on the Falls Road Golf Course in Potomac, Md. St. Andrew’s was a distant second with a 326 total.
“The players felt very confident from the outset they could win this again,” Potomac School coach Mike Hutton said. “This is a very deep team with a lot of talent. The players have all worked hard to improve a lot since 2019. They were really locked in and committed to do this again.”
Potomac School won the 2019 MAC tourney with a 318 team score. The 2020 tournament was not held because of COVID.
“They had to wait two years for this,” Hutton said.
Ross, a senior, said the team was motivated and determined to repeat.
“It was a bonus to be the individual champion, but it was a bigger deal to win as a team and break 300, because that was a goal,” Ross said. “Our team has come so far since my sophomore year.”
Ross’ round included three birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. The 71 was his lowest high-school round.
“The conditions were windy and gusty, and that made it harder,” said Ross, who shot 84 in the 2019 MAC tourney. “But I played pretty solid all the way through.”
Tying for second individually was Potomac School senior Grant Exley with a 74. Senior Ryan Huppe tied for fourth at 75, senior Josh Shapiro shot 76 to tie for sixth, freshman Connor Wood shot 81 and tied for eighth and senior Weston Hicks tied for 14th with an 83.
During regular-season play, Potomac School had an 8-1 overall record, including an 8-0 mark against MAC opponents.
Previous multi-time champion Flint Hill finished sixth in this season’s MAC tourney with a 362 score. Porter Hoel led Flint Hill with an 86 to tie for 18th and Will Plaut shot 87 and tied for 20th.
NOTE: In July, Ross shot 76-79-155 to win the Maryland Summer Junior Open tournament at the Country Club at Woodmore in Mitchellville, Md., as part of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.