Rye Neck Boys’ Golf

Panthers Beat Goliaths Mahopac and Greeley en Route to Winning Season

By Mitch Silver

 

Coach Mark Canno’s team had another in a string of successful seasons this spring, finishing 13-3 for a second-place finish in Conference III League B play. 

 

Along the way, the squad notched home-and-home victories over their rivals, the Blind Brook Trojans. Just as impressive, the Panthers — led by senior captains Ben Banker, Tim Kelley, Logan Spencer, and Jack Van Buren — knocked off squads from Mahopac and Horace Greeley, schools with nearly triple the enrollment of Rye Neck’s 360 students.

 

Juniors Aidan Heaton, Danny Morningstar, and Genki Ono also played a large part in the team’s success, as Heaton joined Kelley and Van Buren on the All-League team. In post-season play, Kelley carried Rye Neck’s colors into the Sectional tournament.

 

 

Looking ahead to 2018, Coach Canno is upbeat despite the loss of so many good ball strikers. “We had a great run with this group, but we have three strong juniors back and five or six underclassman who improved by leaps and bounds as the year went on. Jack and Luke Masciopinto, Michael Miller, and Aidan’s brother Ronan Heaton will all vie for starting spots next season.”