Panther Valley golf coach Greg Surotchak wasn’t surprised by Drew Kokinda’s performance at the District 11 Golf Championships.

But he was probably in the minority.

Kokinda captured the Class 2A championship with a 7-over par 79 to win the title by four strokes over Mahanoy Area’s Collin Schreiber.

The Panther senior earned his spot in the championships with a fourth-place finish at last week’s qualifying tournament. Tuesday at the Steel Club in Hellertown, he not only topped all the other qualifiers, but beat everyone who had received an automatic berth into the championships as well.

“I knew Drew had it in him,” said Surotchak. “It was just a matter of him putting everything together and utilizing all his tools.”

The victory earns Kokinda a spot at the PIAA championships at Penn State University.

Kokinda will be joined by two other Times News area golfers. Palmerton’s Jared Reinhard finished third in Class 2A with a 13-over 85, and Pleasant Valley’s Lydon Patascher, who was one of three players to emerge from a playoff for the final spots in Class A.

Bounce back

Kokinda was disappointed with his showing at the Schuylkill League Championships and knew he could do better in the District 11 part of the postseason.

“I definitely wasn’t one of the favorites, so I felt like I was an underdog coming into this,” said Kokinda. “I decided to go for it, and felt I had nothing to lose.

“After I qualified last week, I put in a lot of practice time.”

Kokinda who was at or near the top of the 2A leaderboard most of the day, said he began to feel confident that he could win it all, after a birdie on the par-5, 14th hole.

“After that, I had my spirits up, and I knew I had to keep going,” he said. “My chips and my short game were good today, and my putts were solid.”

He admittedly struggled at the end of the regular season, and knew the clock was ticking.

“Before the last week of the season, things weren’t going well,” Kokinda said. “I worked with my uncle and my swing coach to help get myself straightened out.”

When Kokinda’s high school career began Panther Valley he didn’t even have a golf team so he played as an independent player. His game has gradually improved since then.

“I proved a lot to myself today and I am ready for states.”

Having fun

After not setting his own expectations too high, Reinhard cherished his qualifying the moment.

“I feel good,” said Reinhard. “I came into the round - in all honesty - not really expecting a lot after barely making it to district qualifying. But I played well today and was making some relatively long putts.”

Reinhard took a lighter approach to the day, and it proved to be beneficial.

“My biggest thing was mentally staying focused and not letting things bother me,” he said. “I came here to have fun, and I had fun with the guys I was playing with. That’s what really helped my round.”

Reinhard, whose season average hovered in the low 80s, certainly has appreciated his first trip to districts and now states.

“I’m proud of myself,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be where I am right now. It has been a good season for me, and I’m looking forward to states.”

Survive and advance

Patascher finished in a five-way tie for the final three spots in Class 3A. He ended up advancing when one golfer was eliminated on the first playoff hole and another on the second.

Patascher said getting through the playoff and advancing to the state tournament was a surreal feeling. His 82 at the East Penn Conference (EPC) tournament proved to be a primer.

“I just got goosebumps (after qualifying for states) because I knew all the hard work paid off,” he said. “After the EPCs two weeks ago, I went to my home course because I knew I had to work on stuff. I’m glad for every single time that I went there.

“I had eight-over on the back nine at EPC’s and lost my head a little bit. Here, I just stayed through it and grinded it all out.”

After he won last week’s 3A qualifier to reach the championships, Patascher received an inner boost.

“I had a lot of confidence because winning that was so big,” he said. “For this, I just wanted to place in the top six. If I stayed calm and played like I could, I knew I could make it.”

The junior didn’t have good prior experiences at districts, shooting a 102 as a freshman and a 98 last year. However, his previous trips and a steady summer schedule served as a springboard.

“I think it did help and I played a lot of tournaments during the summer,” he said. “That helped get me prepared for these moments. I just plan to stay calm and play my game at states. It has gotten me here, so there’s no point in changing it. I just plan to stick with the game plan. I’m here for a reason.

“If I’m on with my driver, it’s going to be a good day. I’m very excited to get to states, and I know it can help me get back there next year.”

SCOREBOARD ... Southern Lehigh won the 3A team title. Moravian Academy captured the 2A crown with Northwestern finishing second.

QUALIFYING ... Six boys and three girls in both the Class 2A and 3A brackets moved on to the state tournament which will be played Oct. 16-17 in State College. The Class 2A tournament will be played on Penn State’s White Course, while the 3A tournament will be on Penn State’s Blue Course. Both will be 36 holes.

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH ... Northwestern’s Avri Chandler and Grace Scheffler just missed the cut in 2A. Chandler was fourth with a 97, and Scheffler had 101.

OTHER AREA GOLFERS ... in 2A boys, Northwestern’s Ethan Koslowski was tied for eighth with a 92 and teammate Erik Mather was locked in an 11th place tie with a 95. Tamaqua’s Peter McGinley was 13th with a 99. In 2A girls, Northwestern’s Addison Remaley finished ninth with a 109, and Jim Thorpe’s Anna Figura was 10th with a 114.

NICE SHOT, ACE ... Pocono Mountain West’s Ashlyn McCormick hit the shot of the day at districts. She made a hole in one on the 13th hole to help her finish third place in girls Class 3A and advance to states.