Cape goes low again to finish regular season
May 22, 2026
Kingston Davis
The Vikings traveled to Maple Dale Country Club May 14 for the team’s last regular season match against the Dover Senators.
Cape finished the day with a flourish, winning 150-177 and tying its record low score for 2026, previously accomplished on April 23 and 27. Four Viking scorers posted rounds in the 30s for the second time this season.
Kingston Davis’s one-under par 35 on Maple Dale’s front nine earned his fifth medal for 2026. Jack Tunnell’s 37 was one stroke above his best for the year. Gabby Hamstead and Ryan McNett finished the day with a pair of 39s.
The Senators posted a season-best 177 led by Wesley Stoops’ 38 and Owen Holden’s 39.
Cape finished the regular season at 14-2, with a single-stroke loss to Sussex Central and a 7-stroke loss to Salesianum (16-0-1).
Sussex Academy squeaks past Sussex Central in North/South match
(l-r) SAS head coach Keith Kendzierski Jr., Brody Skinner, Gino Magliano, Jack Dale, Bodhin Williams, Jordan Green, Ryan Kline, Nick DeEmedio, Ryan Dostal, and Assistant Coach Keith Kendzierski Sr.
Sussex Central won the Henlopen North title thanks to a one-stroke regular season victory over Cape Henlopen and Conference tiebreaker rules installed this year for golf.
The Golden Knights experienced the same type of what-if and what-could-have been for themselves in the May 15 North/South HAC title match.
South Division winner Sussex Academy eked out a 161-162 one-stroke victory against Central on the front nine at Baywood Greens.
Jake Hollerback of Central won medalist for the day with a 2-over par 38. However, Nicholas DeEmedio, Jordan Green, and Ryan Kline tied for best Seahawk score with a trio of 40s.
Bodhin Williams’ 41 proved to be just good enough to overcome not only Hollerback’s score but also those contributed by Central’s Joseph Neumann (40), Joshua Dempsey (41), and Trevor Clarke (43).
Academy head coach Keith Kendzierski said, “I told them they needed to focus and show up with a championship mentality if they were expecting to produce championship results. And they did. I hadn’t seen them that focused all season as a group.”
“We knew it came down to Bohdin Williams making a 3-foot putt on hole nine in front of both teams and all the spectators to take an outright lead by one stroke. When he made the putt his teammates and spectators erupted in celebration. He looked up at everybody and asked, ‘Did I need to make that putt?’” Kendzierski said. “The cheering turned into joyous laughter as a lot of the team realized we had reached our goal. I couldn’t be prouder of these young men and women.”
Sussex Central wins Henlopen Athletic Conference Tournament
Led by 2025 DIAA State Champion Jake Hollerback, the Sussex Central Golden Knights won the Henlopen Athletic Conference Tournament May 20 with a fine 304 total on their home course, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro.
The tournament formerly played a role in determining which HAC golfers played in the State championships. That ended with the Covid-related adoption of the handicap ranking process, in use since 2021.
A field of 84 golfers, six from each of the fourteen conference golf teams, played the day-long, 18-hole event. A freakish heat wave made conditions challenging for many golfers, with temperatures in the mid-90s and humidity creating even-higher real-feel temps.
In addition to Hollerback, other Cape Region players played through the weather in fine form. Central’s Clarke (3d), Neumann (7th) and Ryan Orth (10th), along with Cape’s Tunnell (4th) and McNett (9th), finished in the top ten.
There was yet another single-stroke margin among the teams. Cape Henlopen beat Sussex Academy 335-336 despite losing the Vikings’ top player, Kingston Davis, after his illness-related withdrawal after 12 holes.
The order of finish for the team competition: (1) Sussex Central, (2) Caesar Rodney, (3) Cape Henlopen, (4) Sussex Academy, (5) Sussex Tech, (6) Delmar, (7) Lake Forest, (8) Polytech, (9) Dover, (10) Indian River, (11) Milford, (12) Smyrna, (13) Laurel, and (14) Woodbridge.
The DIAA State Golf Championships are next on the scholastic golf calendar, set for May 26-27 at Baywood Greens. One hundred golfers from 30 high schools are scheduled to compete for three titles: Girls, Boys, and Team.
Local club competition results
The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies played a Hit the Most Fairways game May 19.
Kathy Hudak won the first division, with Gail Logullo in second and Pat Burke in third.
Lisa Wooditch won the second division, followed by Kathy Marks in second and Kathy Ragolia in third.
The Kings Creek Country Club 9- and 18-hole LGA Leagues began their seasons May 14, using two different competition formats.
The 9-Hole group played Team Cha-Cha, won by Marie Murray, Denise Sills, Barbara Morales, and Margaret Connors.
Diane Knizer, Yona Zucker, Joanne Yurik, and Patricia Novak took second. Kim Kavchok, Vicki St. Germain, Jennifer Liner, and Donna Romer finished third. Sara Cavendish, Dot Filbert, Pamela Cranston, and Kaye Allison came in fourth.
The 18-Hole group played the Kings Creek Shuffle 2-2-1, with Anita Pettitt, Jenifer Flinchbaugh, Sharon Denny, and Polly Donaldson taking first place.
Lisa Schofield, Gale DiBona, Jeannine Doane, and Kay Woollen finished second. Jacqueline Everett, Sally McGovern, Kathleen Niles, and Maggie Whall came in third. Deborah Ward, Donna Deely, Camille Nichols, and Arlyce Dubbin took the fourth spot.