By Pete Borello

Prep Boys Golf Playoffs

Positive ‘Sines’ for LA

With a second-place finish at last week’s Central Coast Section boys golf regional, St. Francis High qualified for the championship tournament at Rancho Cañada Golf Club in Monterey.

Coach Dave Ferriera seemed pleased with his team’s regional score, yet he knew the Lancers would need to do better than 300 to win the CCS title.

“If we can shoot 290, we have a great chance,” Ferriera said last week. “That means everyone needs to shoot two strokes better than they did (May 8), which they’re capable of doing.”

The coach also said he didn’t see a clear-cut favorite in the tourney, played Tuesday after the Town Crier went to press.

“Any of the eight teams has a pretty good shot at it,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if any of the eight won it - they’re that close.”

If St. Francis finished among the top three, it advances to next Tuesday’s Northern California Regional at Monarch Bay Golf Course in San Leandro.

At the CCS regional, also held at Rancho Cañada, the Lancers’ top scorer turned out to be No. 4 player Todd Scanlin, who shot 72. Had Scanlin qualified for the individual portion of the regional, he would have posted the fourth-best score of the day.

“Todd had an outstanding day,” Ferriera said. “He really came through.”

Kevin Lozares, St. Francis’ No. 1 player this year, shot 73 to place fourth individually. The sophomore was expected to compete as part of the team and as an individual at the CCS event, giving him two opportunities to make NorCal.

Three other Lancers also shot under 80 last week: Chris Whalen (77), Brett Giurlani (78) and Alvin Lata (79).

“We were pretty solid team from top to bottom,” Ferriera said.

Although Los Altos High’s regional score (321) wasn’t good enough to move on, the Eagles were expected to send one golfer to the CCS championship in Monterey.

Senior J.B. Sines shot a 73 to post the fifth-best score in the individual portion of the May 8 regional.

“J.B. played excellent,” Eagles coach Dave Blasquez said last week. “He only had two bad holes (bogey and double-bogey). He had an outstanding round.”‘

Blasquez added that Sines had “a great chance to go to NorCal,” which requires a top-eight finish at the CCS championship .