Boys Golf
Perkiomen Valley 195, Pope John Paul II 196 (PAC Championship – Turtle Creek GC)
Perk Valley’s boys’ golf team has had more than a few close calls in 2026, so the Vikings were more than ready for another with a league championship on the line on Thursday at Turtle Creek.
Of the Vikings’ 16 total wins this season, three have now come by a single stroke, including yesterday’s close call in the PAC championship against PJP, not to mention a week earlier in the league semifinals against OJR. The Golden Panthers (10-3 overall) reached Thursday’s final by prevailing by two strokes over regular season champ Spring-Ford in the other PAC semi, and had also lost by two strokes to PV earlier this season. Point being: the top of the league was extraordinarily competitive, so it was far from a surprise to see the Vikings (16-4) and Panthers go down to the wire to determine a champion.
Perkiomen Valley sophomore Connor Bates picked a perfect time for one of his best rounds of the season, leading the Vikings with a score of 37. (Photo by Joe Evans/JoeEvansPictures.com)
Four of five golfers on each side shot under 40. For Perk Valley, Connor Bates’ team-best round of 37 led the way, followed by Grady Rupe one stroke behind at 38, and Josh Fitzpatrick and Lucas Keysock with matching 39’s. Everett Dunner concluded the team’s scoring with a 42.
For Pope, Beau Bliem’s score of 36 led all golfers on the day. Bliem was trailed by Frankie Benincasa (38), Reid Tornetta (39), Ryan Kelly (39) and Ryan Cahill (44).
Pope John Paul’s Beau Bliem led all golfers with a score of 36 in the PAC championship, but the Golden Panthers lost by a single stroke to Perkiomen Valley. (Photo by Joe Evans/JoeEvansPictures.com)
Thursday’s result was the third consecutive PAC title for the Vikings and ninth overall for the program, which is led by head coach Tavio Hunsicker.
Girls Tennis
PAC Doubles Tournament (Day 1 – Perkiomen Valley HS)
Two weeks after PJP junior Elliana DeCicco captured the PAC Singles title, the league’s players once again descended upon Perkiomen Valley, this time in hopes of nailing down a doubles championship. A total of 16 tandems entered the fray, with the first round, second round and quarterfinals all unfolding on Thursday.
The top eight duos all earned automatic byes into the second round. The four groups still alive heading into Friday’s conclusion were Methacton’s Chelsea Lian and Claire Montgomery, the runner-up and a semifinalist in the league singles championship, who will play Upper Merion’s Lily Flores Hamric and Lola Fuenfstueck in one semi, and Spring-Ford’s Sanaa Desai and Arianna Judisch, who will battle PJP’s Sophie Valligny and Lilly North in the other. Valligny is vying for her second consecutive doubles crown after winning the 2025 tournament with the since-graduated Madison Young.
Below are Friday’s complete results:
First Round
Ana Derkotch/Zaria Kulp (BT) def. Ava Laws/Emma Allen (PT), 10-0
Bella Hall/Isabella Stevenson (PV) def. Abby Zajowski/Abby Bersheim (PJP), 10-9 (7-0)
Sam Godshall/Malia Phillips (UP) def. Tiona Jackson/Jayda Stafford (NT), 10-0
Jaclyn McPhillimey/Skylar Pysher (PG) def. Fiona Rosencrance/Ruchita Rajvanshi (OJR), 10-6
Kylie Heimbach/Emily Steckiel (BT) def. Saryu Nimmala/Jenna Tran (UM), 10-4
Katelyn Carretas/Caitlin Van Dijken (OJR) def. Ahdriannah Moman/Kerrah Dunkley (NT), 10-1
Micaiah Valloor/Aviyah Valloor (PHX) def. Lucy Zuniga/Catherine Pineda (PT), 10-1
Addison Creciun/Madison Diehl (PG) def. Kate Laubach/Cassie Breen (UP), 10-4
Second Round
Lian/Montgomery (MET) def. Derkotch/Kulp (BT), 10-1
Hall/Stevenson (PV) def. Addison Cirone/Vienne Miller (PHX), 10-7
Nithya Vadlamudi/Austin Fallon (SF) def. Godshall/Phillips (UP), 10-2
Flores Hamric/Fuenfstueck (UM) def. McPhillimey/Pysher (PG), 10-6
Desai/Judisch (SF) def. Heimbach/Steckiel (BT), 10-5
Anusha Verma/Lane Adams (PV) def. Carretas/Van Dijken (OJR), 10-1
Grace Evans/Josslyn McGrann (MET) def. M. Valloor/A. Valloor (PHX), 10-7
Valligny/North (PJP) def. Creciun/Diehl (PG), 10-5
Quarterfinals
Lian/Montgomery (MET) def. Hall/Stevenson (PV), 6-2, 6-0
Flores Hamric/Fuenfstueck (UM) def. Vadlamudi/Fallon (SF), 6-2, 6-1
Desai/Judisch (SF) def. Verma/Adams (PV), 6-1, 6-1
Valligny/North (PJP) def. Evans/McGrann (MET), 6-2, 6-0
Four additional duos moved on to Friday’s consolation round in hopes of earning a wild card spot into the District 1 Doubles Tournament on Oct. 21 and 23: Hall and Stevenson (PV), Vadlamudi/Fallon (SF), Verma/Adams (PV) and Evans/McGrann (MET).