STATE COLLEGE - Pleasant Valley’s Lydon Patascher and Panther Valley’s Drew Kokinda can look back on their initial trips to the PIAA Golf Championship at Penn State University and have a sense of pride and satisfaction.

Although neither earned a medal, both enjoyed their experience competing against the top golfers in the state.

Patascher fired a 78 on Tuesday and had a two-day total of a 14-over-par 158, finishing in 58th place in the Class 3A bracket. Patascher shot a 39 on both the front and the back of the Blue course.

“I didn’t have my ‘A’ game today,” said Patascher. “But I still made a number of birdies, and those will stay with me as memories.

“I never thought I would be at states. But the amount of work that I put into this since my freshman year is insane. So I’m glad it paid off in the end.”

Pleasant Valley coach Steve Krechel expected Patascher to eventually play at states due to his golf pedigree.

“I never have never seen a harder working golf family than the Pataschers,” said Krechel. “They live and breathe golf. No one works longer and puts in more hours than them on the course. Lydon actually has a part-time job at Indian Mountain Golf Course.

“This will only contribute to fuel the fire inside of him to get back there.”

A junior, Patascher now knows the path to get back to the state’s Big Dance, and already has his sights set for next fall.

“I have to dial in a lot of parts of my game,” he said. “I didn’t really swing as well as I would have liked these past two days, so I was trying to just make my way around the course. I will keep playing until the weather changes, and most likely even play throughout the winter.”

As for Kokinda, the senior shot 86 for the second consecutive day and finished with a two-day total of a 28-over par 172, placing him 71st in the Class 2A bracket.

Kokinda was pleased with his effort. He shot a 43 on both the front and back of the White course.

“My round was solid,” he said. “I had a couple of big numbers, which didn’t help, but I was able to get some of those strokes back with a birdie on hole six, and a couple of pars.”

Panther Valley golf coach Greg Surotchak watched Kokinda develop into the golfer he is today.

“Drew matured tremendously in his last two years. The main reason he made strides this year is because of having team competition the last two seasons. Our program is only two years old.

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t expect him to go to states, only because the level in which you have to have your game to get here is above and beyond normal league and even district play. But Drew’s hard work got him here, and couldn’t be more proud of him.

“I think his accomplishment of qualifying for the state tournament is something he should be extremely excited about, because not many student/athletes make it here.”

Kokinda truly relished his time in State College, and reminisced about the beginning of his career.

“One moment I will always remember was getting my name announced on the first tee box while being watched by tons of spectators and other golfers,” he said. “I do realize now that my high school career has ended. But I have no regrets about how it turned out.”

Kokinda also thanked a couple of people responsible for his success in the sport.

“I wouldn’t have been here without the support of my uncle, Tony (Kokinda), and my grandfather, Arty (Kokinda). They got me started in the game, and I am grateful to them.”

Kokinda plans to attend Moravian College next fall, where he will continue his golf career.

BIG BEAR ... Krechel noted that Patascher had a school season record average of 74. He also tied the school record for lowest score (69), and became the third PV golfer to go to states.

SCOREBOARD ... In the Class 3A bracket, Butler’s Hunter Swidzinski, Penn Trafford’s Nick Turowski, and Plum’s Wes Lorish tied for first with a seven-under 137. Swidzinski eventually won it in a playoff. The top District 11 golfer was Nazareth’s s Zach Miller, who had a plus-one 145 and was 19th. In the 2A bracket, Wyoming Seminary’s Nick Werner kept his lead from Monday and finished with a six-under 144. The Top District 11 golfers were Schuylkill Haven’s Talan Spittler and Tyler Barton, who both finished with a 22-over-par 166 and tied for 59th.