Titan Invitational

 

The Lions travel to Palm Coast this weekend to compete in the prestigious Titan Invitational.

“What a great event to be invited to,” Coach Howell remarked. “It’s as strong a field of golf teams as you’ll find anywhere, and I know our kids are excited to play!”

 

Currently ranked 23rd in the state and 9th in the region, the Lions look to build on their solid performance from Monday. With confidence growing, they’ll aim to sharpen a few key areas and continue their climb against some of the best programs in Florida. 

 

Oviedo Invitational

 

The 2nd Annual Oviedo High School Invitational was held today at Twin Rivers Golf Club, featuring eight of the top programs in Central Florida.

 

Lake Highland Prep captured the Championship Trophy with an impressive team score of +12 (300). Winter Park finished just one stroke back at +13 (301) to claim runner-up honors, while Lake Mary secured third at +17 (305). The host Lions of Oviedo placed fourth with a solid +22 (310), and Bishop Moore rounded out the top five at +24 (312).

 

Individually, Christian Koehn led the field with a spectacular 4-under-par 68 to earn Low Medalist honors. Three players tied for second at even-par 72: Arya Patel (Lake Highland Prep), Noah Manly (Bishop Moore), and Alexander Pendry (Oviedo). Will Somers (Winter Park) completed the top five with a steady +1 (73).

 

“It was a good day for us,” Coach Howell remarked afterwards. “I invited some really strong teams to this year’s event because I wanted our kids to see firsthand where they stand against some of the perennial powerhouse programs in Central Florida.

 

That said, it’s still very early, and we’re right there. We finished only ten strokes out of first place, and really, only one of our guys played up to his skill level today. I don’t want to sound too critical, but if the boys wanted proof they belong at this level—they do.”

 

Player Spotlight: Xander Pendry

 

Xander Pendry played lights out for the Lions, holding his own against one of the strongest fields in Central Florida. He stood one under par with four holes to play before a tricky sidehill putt led to a bogey.

 

“I’d like to have a few putts back,” Pendry admitted. “That one, plus a few more birdie looks that just slid by. But overall, I felt like I struck the ball really well today. It was nice to finish top five in this field of golfers.”

 

Coach Howell praised his performance, adding, “Xander has been really steady in practice. He’s going to have a really good season!”

 

Lets go a little deeper into the Tournament. Caleb Anderson (#2) carded a 79 in a round that didn’t reflect his usual steady play. Uncharacteristically, he bogeyed all four par fives. “Caleb is a solid wood and iron player,” Coach Howell stated. “He hits 80% of the fairways and 60% of the greens. We’ve played 13 practice rounds this summer and Caleb averages just a touch over par. His play on the par fives was unexpected and hurt our team’s chances. He's a fighter! I have no doubt he’ll be right back where he always is in the next match.”

 

Tyler Adamczyk (#3), normally one of the team’s most reliable scorers, finished with an 83. “Tyler was going along quite nicely and then—bam!” Coach Howell explained. “He began the day with five straight pars, and I thought he had everything under control. I don’t know if it was the bogey on three, but something rattled him. He just never got it back on track. Tyler hit 71% of his fairways, but only 39% of the greens, and his putting wasn’t up to his standards. I know he knows all of that and he’ll solve it quickly.”

 

Tre Dahm (#4) signed for an 80 in a round that was steady from tee to green but frustrating on the greens. “He’s an enigma,” Coach Howell said. “He hits a lot of fairways, and a lot of greens. But his putter is the issue. Today, it was ice cold—39 putts for the day. A good number for 18 holes is around 32. Tre was seven over that today. If he ever figures out that he can putt—watch out!”

 

Holt Rue (#5) posted a 79, but his round told a different story. After stumbling out of the gate at +5 through three holes, he regrouped and played the final 15 holes at just +2. “He’s got a lot of talent,” Coach Howell remarked. “He plays with a lot of fire. We need Holt to believe he’s that guy!”

 

Add it all together, and the Lions ended up with the recipe not to win—but also the ingredients to show just how good they can be when things click. With talent across the lineup, the pieces are in place. “It’s early,” Coach Howell concluded. “This group has the potential to win a lot against anyone if we can turn it around. The Lions will be a team to watch down the road.”