EXETER — Len Benfante is in his 28th season coaching the Pittston Area golf team.
When the postseason wraps up next month, he will walk off as Patriots coach for the final time. He will retire at the end of the season.
Benfante’s remaining golfer in the postseason is senior Allie Craig, who is looking to make her coach’s exit memorable.
She got off to a good start by winning the Class 3A girls portion of the Pre-district Tournament at Fox Hill Country Club Monday and claiming the tournament crown for the second straight season. She won this year’s event with a score of 86 to qualify for the District 2 Tournament for the third consecutive year.
“This year is very special to me, considering it’s my coach’s last year, too,” Craig said. “I really want to take him to regionals and get him there one last time. So I’m not only playing for me, I’m playing for him, too.”
Benfante has had plenty of success coaching golfers recently. Brandon Matthews, now playing professionally, won a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state title in 2010. A few years later, Tyler McGarry won a District 2 title playing minimal golf before running away with the crown.
With a title at the District 2 Class 3A girls event on Monday, back at Fox Hill, Craig could send Benfante out in style by becoming the first girl in school history to ever win a district gold in golf.
“With the better score, it gives me confidence to go further in my career,” Craig said.
It didn’t come easy for Craig, though.
After last season ended, she had knee surgery. Playing a tournament this summer, the same knee popped, and she didn’t think she would be able to finish out her career for the Patriots.
A trip to the surgeon eased her nerves, and she returned to the course to play in a few summer tournaments to get ready for the high school season.
“Getting back here with the best score I ever had in the pre-district tournament right after knee surgery this past off-season is a lot of confidence,” she said.
Craig got off to a rough start in the event, but then reached a hole that’s been all-or-nothing in her numerous times of playing at Fox Hill, which is also her home course for the Patriots. On the par-4 No. 13 hole, a hole where she’s scored as high as 9 in previous tries, she had a birdie. That turn gave her confidence going forward because it was just her sixth of the day having started on No. 8.
“That really raised my confidence for this coming Monday at districts,” Craig said. “Knowing that I went for it, I was hitting it well and it worked out great.”
Wyoming Area boys advanced two players to the Class 3A boys tournament. Jimmy Kosco made it by shooting 83. Chase Yochem qualified with an 89.
