Seneca Valley golf quartet, led by Brody Pirt, accomplish program first in WPIAL postseason
Seneca Valley has fielded a varsity boys golf team for 60 years, but this season’s Raiders managed to pull off a first for the program.
Four golfers — Brody Pirt, Tyler Garvin, Marcos Lopez and Anthony Cardosi — have qualified for the final round of the WPIAL Class 3A individual boys championship.
“It’s impressive to get this many golfers to the final,” SV coach Dean Leventopoulos said. “I believe it’s the first time in school history we’ve gotten four to go this far.”
The quartet first emerged from the Section 3 tournament Sept. 16 at Slippery Rock Golf Club. Lopez paced SV’s effort that day with a 75.
In the WPIAL first round Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Southpointe Golf Club, the target score to stay alive was 83. Pirt (80), Garvin (82), Cardosi (83) and Lopez (83) each met that challenge to earn them a spot in the final round Tuesday at one of this country’s most storied golf courses — Oakmont Country Club, home of the 2025 U.S. Open.
Forty-four golfers will hit the links to decide the district champion. Each player’s score from the first round will be added to their effort at Oakmont. Fox Chapel’s Carson Kittsley currently tops the leaderboard with a 73.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to golf there,” Garvin said. “I want to do my best, but also want to enjoy the opportunity.”
Pirt may have seemed to be a longshot to still be golfing individually this late in the season. Until this year, his autumns were taken up by playing football.
“I started golfing just for fun three years ago,” he said. “I didn’t think it would amount to much, but eventually I started taking it more seriously. I did really well in tryouts in August, and that’s when I thought I had a chance to make it to WPIALs.”
Pirt, a senior who averaged 38.7 strokes per nine holes this season, also wrestles for the Raiders. Golf has given him a good balance between the links and the physicality he encounters on the mat. He said his biggest strength on the course is his distance off the tee, which often approaches 300 yards.
“In the first round (at Southpointe), I was 7-over after four holes and honestly, wanted to quit,” Pirt said. “But I got par on the next hole and played much better the rest of the round.”
Garvin has been able to continue his progression during this, his senior year. As a sophomore, he missed advancing from the section tournament by a single stroke. Last year, he qualified for WPIALs but did not make it out of the first round.
“My biggest improvement has come in my putting,” said Garvin, who averages 38.6 strokes per nine holes. “Two years ago, I had one of the worst averages on the team. Now, I’m in the top 3.”
Lopez (37.7) and Cardosi (39.4) also have sub-40 averages. The Raiders will compete in the WPIAL Class 3A team semifinals Oct. 8 at a course to be determined.
“We have a lot of internal push on the team,” Leventopoulos said. “There’s a lot of competition there. They want to best each other.”
That dynamic undoubtedly will affect any success — individually or team — the Raiders meet moving forward.
“We have fun, but get serious on the course,” Garvin said. “We push each other to get better.”
