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Boys golf: York, WW South's McCaffrey claim titles at Batavia

Sean McCaffrey and Alex Bassetto could have been an unstoppable best-ball team Saturday at the annual Batavia Golf Invitational.

The seniors, from Wheaton Warrenville South and Benet, respectively, fired 4-under par 32s at the Fox Valley Golf Course in North Aurora on different nines.

The duo also managed to fire 3-over rounds on its opposite-nine-hole rounds.

The resulting 71s left the pair in a scorecard playoff.

But McCaffrey, a week removed from the individual title at Fenton, made it consecutive tournament championships on the basis of his birdie on the 18th hole.

Both McCaffrey and Bassetto negated 5 bogeys with 6 birdies during their almost identical rounds.

"Two of them were tap-in birdies," McCaffrey said of his run of four straight birdies starting at No. 7. "I drove the green, or put it greenside, on two of the (short par-4s). The main thing about both courses (McCaffrey won at White Pines at Fenton last week) is hitting the ball off the tee. I haven't putted this well all year."

"Sean is a leader on this team," WW South coach Jimmy Selleck said. "He is a very poised golfer. He can always play well."

Bassetto, meanwhile, had to overcome a sluggish start.

"They don't have a driving range here," the Naperville resident said. "I started off 3-over (par) after three (holes). I was spraying (my driver) all over the place."

But Bassetto cured his ills with the big stick to play his final 14 holes in 4-under par.

"All of a sudden my driver started clicking (on the back nine)," Bassetto said. "I drove the green (on No. 16, a par-4) to about 10 feet and made the putt (for eagle)."

The individual excellence overshadowed the first team victory by York in some time.

The Dukes had five players shoot 79 or better, headlined by a level-par 72 from Mark Leali and 73 from Will Gunst, to earn a comfortable 11 shot victory, 296-307, over four-time defending champion and West Suburban Silver rival Hinsdale Central.

The Devils, the three-time reigning Class 3A state champion, were led by reigning individual champion Kenneth Liu, who was third overall with his 72.

WW South was third, followed by Geneva, Naperville North, Benet, Glenbard West, host Batavia, Lyons Twp. and Downers Grove North.

York was coming off a hard-to-swallow 147-148 loss to Glenbard West on Thursday at Village Links.

"That's the West Suburban Silver for you," York coach Jim Borel said. "This is the first (major team title) in at least six or eight years. To get the win is a big accomplishment for the boys."

Jacob Valdick, a Glenbard West junior, was declared fifth overall with his 73.

Seventy-four was necessary to be in the hunt for a top-10 medal.

Geneva junior Andrew Abel was out of consideration by a mere shot, but the junior still led two teammates with sub-80 rounds in the Vikings' first appearance at the venerable tournament of their archrivals.

"I made a lot of putts," said Abel, who had composite nines of 38 and 37 in his 3-over round. "If I had a rough hole, I would bounce back pretty well. My scrambling was very good. I got up-and-down (for par) a lot."

"(Abel) had a great second half of his round today," Geneva coach Eric Hatczel said. "When you start going up against teams like Hinsdale Central, York, Lyons Twp., Wheaton South and Glenbard West, those are top-notch schools. It's nice to come to an event like this and perform this well."

Abel had 3 birdies on the back nine to compensate for a slow start.

Tyler Isenhart and JT Kruzich were also instrumental to the Vikings' 313 total score.

Aurora Christian finished in the bottom half of the team pool, but the Eagles' Devin Johnson and Brett Seward had their finest rounds of the season to secure top-nine finishes.

The Aurora Christian juniors were both 1-over on each side to fashion eighth-and ninth-place 74s.

"I made some putts out there," said Johnson.

The Eagles' top-ranked player was wondering what if he had not played his final two holes in 3-over.

"I would have been tied for the lead right now," Johnson said.

Fox Valley is susceptible to low scores with its array of short par-4s and reachable par-5s.

Seward found the last of the par-5s in two and drained a 20-footer for eagle to frame his round.

"I played more conservatively than I normally would on this course," Seward said.

Kaneland junior Brett Glennon had the third 74 on the day to snare the final top-10 berth.

"My short game was on today," Glennon said.

West Aurora freshman Ryan Vanderway is one of the top underclassmen in the area after the Blackhawks' No. 1 player led the team once again with a 78.

Nick Robinson did likewise for the host Bulldogs.

None of the 12 combined players from the two St. Charles high schools managed to eclipse the 80 mark.

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