By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The constant rain that interrupted the Region 6 girls’ golf tournament at A. J. Jolly this week didn’t keep Erin Durstock from reaching her goals. The Notre Dame senior shot a 73 to capture regional medalist honors for the first time in her high school career and led the Pandas to their third consecutive team title.
“I don’t know what it is, but I always feel like I play better in the rain,” Durstock said. “It was hard to figure out the greens because they were constantly changing with the rain, but somehow it worked out.”
The tournament had to be postponed Tuesday when the rain made the greens unplayable and golfers returned Wednesday to complete their 18-hole rounds. When all the scorecards were finally turned in, Durstock won by five strokes despite the adverse conditions.
Notre Dame coach Karen Henderson was glad to see Durstock receive the medalist trophy because the senior worked so hard to improve during her high school career.
“She came to us her freshman year full of talent, but she needed to refine her skills and gain tournament experience,” Henderson said. “She was our alternate most of her freshman year, but she never complained, just went to tournaments if asked and, if not, stayed back and trained. I am so proud of her accomplishments.”
Durstock takes lessons from Bob Harrison, a golf pro in Cincinnati. Once they solved the problems she was having with her swing, her 18-hole average dropped to 78 this high school season.
“He really, really helped me. I don’t know if I would be half the golfer I am without Bob,” she said.
Durstock’s senior teammate, Amy Pugliano, tied for second place in the regional tournament with a 78. They started playing competitive golfing on the 7-Up Junior Tour when they were in grade school, came up through the Notre Dame program together and were both recruited by Northern Kentucky University.
The longtime friends are looking forward to finishing off their high school careers together at the girls’ state tournament next week at Bowling Green Country Club.
“Our goal is to win state and I think it could definitely happen,” Durstock said of the Notre Dame team. “We’ve all been playing well these last couple tournaments. If we just keep doing that, we’ll be set.”
Lloyd football team gets free meal from Erlanger Lions feeder program
The Erlanger Lions Club prepared dinner for the football players, coaches and cheerleaders at Lloyd High School on Thursday to celebrate the team’s long-standing association with the Erlanger Lions youth football program.
Many of the players on Lloyd’s roster started out in the Lions program and the organization wanted to reward them for going on to become student-athletes on the high school level.
Lloyd is off to a 4-1 start this season and ranked No. 10 in Class 2A in this week’s Associated Press state football poll. The Juggernauts’ last three victories were against teams in higher classes. They’ll try to continue that streak in Friday’s home game against Conner, a Class 6A team.
Last week, Lloyd scored a season-high 54 points in a win over Garrard County with senior wide receiver Charles Gaines catching six passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
Gaines is the team’s leading pass receiver with 24 catches for 433 yards in five games and the leading scorer with eight touchdowns and four 2-point conversions for 56 points.
Former soccer standouts to be inducted into coaches association hall of fame
Twenty-five years ago, Tony DeMaria and Trevor Fugazzi were two of the players named to the 1990 Northern Kentucky boys’ soccer all-star team. Next month, they’ll be honored once again when they’re both inducted into the Northern Kentucky High School Boys Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Monday, Nov. 23 at Receptions in Erlanger.
DeMaria was a senior defender for Boone County and Fugazzi was a senior forward for Covington Catholic in 1990. Both of their teams won district titles and advanced to the Region 7 playoffs that year.
The other former players to be inducted into the hall of fame on Nov. 23 are Jeff Gough of Simon Kenton and Joe Resing of Holy Cross. They’ll be joined by Joe Roesel, a long-time official.
The awards ceremony for the 2015 Northern Kentucky boys’ soccer all-star teams will precede the induction ceremony.
Local soccer coach’s record for most career wins could soon be surpassed
The state record for most career wins in boys’ soccer that John Horton recorded as Covington Catholic coach could soon be surpassed.
Todd Bretz, boys’ soccer coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar in Lexington, tied the record on Tuesday when his team defeated Scott County, 2-0, at Dunbar. Bretz now has a career coaching record of 433-140-32 in 26 seasons. Horton compiled a 433-165-36 record in 28 seasons at CovCath.
Dunbar is scheduled to play in the Gateway Classic in St. Louis this weekend and then conclude the regular season with a game at St. Henry on Oct. 8.