2023 Southern Hills Athletic Conference All-SHAC Boys Golf: Front row, from left, Breestin Schweickart (North Adams), Ethan Taylor (North Adams), Matthew Griffis (West Union)Marcus Lynch (Eastern Brown), Connor Young (North Adams), Clay Phillips (Ripley), Kelton Robinson (Peebles), AJ Cooper (West Union) and Parker Hayslip (Manchester); Back row, from left, Saxen Wilkin (Lynchburg-Clay), Tegan Knox (West Union), Drew Kennedy (Manchester), Brody Fauber (Fairfield), Caleb DeAtley (North Adams), Drew Gallant (Eastern) and Wylee Sawyers (Eastern Brown). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)

2023 Southern Hills Athletic Conference All-SHAC Boys Golf: Front row, from left, Breestin Schweickart (North Adams), Ethan Taylor (North Adams), Matthew Griffis (West Union)Marcus Lynch (Eastern Brown), Connor Young (North Adams), Clay Phillips (Ripley), Kelton Robinson (Peebles), AJ Cooper (West Union) and Parker Hayslip (Manchester); Back row, from left, Saxen Wilkin (Lynchburg-Clay), Tegan Knox (West Union), Drew Kennedy (Manchester), Brody Fauber (Fairfield), Caleb DeAtley (North Adams), Drew Gallant (Eastern) and Wylee Sawyers (Eastern Brown). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)

<p>North Adams, 2023 SHAC Boys Golf Champions. In no particular order, Breestin Schweickart, Ethan Taylor, Connor Young, Caleb DeAtley, Cash Hupp and Carsyn Raines, Coaches Jamie Hall and Hannum Taylor. (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)</p>

North Adams, 2023 SHAC Boys Golf Champions. In no particular order, Breestin Schweickart, Ethan Taylor, Connor Young, Caleb DeAtley, Cash Hupp and Carsyn Raines, Coaches Jamie Hall and Hannum Taylor. (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)
<p>West Union, 2023 SHAC Boys Golf Runners-Up: In no particular order, Matthew Griffis, Tegan Knox, Landon McIntosh, AJ Cooper, Carson Francis, Brandt Seaman and Coach Carl Schneider. (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)</p>

West Union, 2023 SHAC Boys Golf Runners-Up: In no particular order, Matthew Griffis, Tegan Knox, Landon McIntosh, AJ Cooper, Carson Francis, Brandt Seaman and Coach Carl Schneider. (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)
<p>North Adams junior Breestin Schweickart is the 2023 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Boys Golf Champion. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

North Adams junior Breestin Schweickart is the 2023 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Boys Golf Champion. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

It was a pair of wire-to-wire victories for North Adams in the 2023 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Boys Golf Tournament. The 36-hole tourney, played at four different sites over a two-week period, saw the North Adams boys team take an 11-stroke lead after Round One at the Hillsboro Elks, increase that to 16 after Round Two at Buckeye Hills, fall back to 14 after Round Three at Hilltop, then cruise to a final 21-stroke margin after Round Four at Snow Hill, making it back-to-back SHAC titles for Coach Jamie Hall and his Devils.

The Devils also went wire-to-wire in the individual race as junior Breestin Schweiakart took a two-stroke lead after the first round and held on the rest of the way to claim his first SHAC title after finishing third in last year’s tourney.

The top 15 golfers in the SHAC Boys tourney earn all-conference honors and besides Schweickart, the Devils had senior Ethan Taylor, after a late rush, place second overall in the competition. Taylor finished six strokes behind Schweickart, with teammates Connor Young (tied for third) and Caleb DeAtley also placing in the top 15. Taylor was the medalist in round four (39) while Young did the same in round three. Schweiakart was only medalist in one round but his all-around play allowed him to stay in the top spot.

As usual, Coach Carl Schneider and his West Union Dragons were in the hunt as they finished second overall as team and placed a trio of golfers on the All-SHAC Team. Senior Matthew Griffis was near the top of the leader board all the way, eventually finishing third, seven strokes off the lead. West Union’s A.J. Cooper also made the top 15 as did the Dragons’ Tegan Knox.

The Manchester Greyhounds placed two players on the All-SHAC Tea, sophomore Parker Hayslip and senior Drew Kennedy. Hayslip’s best score was a 40 in round three while Kennedy’s best effort was shooting a 42 in each of the final three rounds, after beginning with a 47.

Finally, the Peebles Indians were represented in the top 15 by Keltin Robinson, whose best round of 4o at Hilltop propelled him into all-conference honors.

With the SHAC Tournament out of the way, the local golfers turned their eyes towards the postseason as sectional action began on Wednesday, September 27 at the Jaycees in Chillicothe, where all the teams will be looking for a trip to the district tournament and the North Adams boys will be looking to began their path to a repeat trip to the OHSAA State Golf Tournament in Columbus.

2023 SHAC Golf Individual Scores

North Adams: Breestin Schweickart (38-41-38-41-158), Ethan Taylor (40-43-42-39-164), Connor Young (42-46-36-41-165), Caleb DeAtley ( 45-41-45-46-177), Cash Hupp (45-47-46-46-184)

West Union: Matthew Griffis (40-43-38-44-165), A.J. Cooper (47-41-40-43-171), Tegan Knox (42-46-43-42-173), Landon McIntosh (47-49-38-45-179). Carsen Francis (48-46-57-56-207)

Manchester: Parker Hayslip (43-41-40-48-172), Drew Kennedy (47-42-42-42-173), Ryan Mack (46-44-46-53-189), Thomas Barnhart (50-48-47-51-196), Joel Blythe (61-49-46-49-205)

Peebles: Keltin Robinson (44-41-40-45-170), Peyton Mason (53-56-52-51-212), Garrett Shiveley (54-60-47-52-213), Colt Seaman (58-66-59-55-238)

2023 SHAC Final Team Scores: North Adams 664, West Union 685, Eastern Brown 704, Manchester 725, Lynchburg 747, Fairfield 760, Whiteoak 799, Peebles 830, Ripley NS

2023 SHAC Boys Golf All-Conference Team: Breestin Schweickart (N. Adams), Ethan Taylor (N. Adams), Matthew Griffis (West Union), Connor Young (N. Adams), Marcus Lynch (Eastern Brown), Clay Phillips (Ripley), Keltin Robinson (Peebles), A.J. Cooper (West Union), Parker Hayslip (Manchester), Saxen Wilkin (Lynchburg), Tegan Knox (West Union), Drew Kennedy (Manchester), Brody Fauber (Fairfield), Caleb DeAtley (N. Adams), Drew Gallant *Eastern Brown), Wylee Sawyers (Eastern Brown)