Chesco boasts some of the state’s best boys’ golf teams, individuals
By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
Some of the top high school golfers in Pennsylvania hail from Chester County, and all you need to do is look at the 2020 boys’ season for proof.
When it comes to team excellence, Unionville has developed into one of the state’s best. In the previous four seasons the Longhorns are unbeaten in the regular season and have captured one state crown (2017) and a pair of runner-up finishes at the PIAA Class 3A Championship.
Unionville placed second overall last fall, and Devon Prep grabbed a fourth place finish in the 2A competition. And even though there was no postseason due to COVID, Conestoga went unbeaten and won the Central League crown.
As for individual accomplishments, look no further than Downingtown West’s Nicholas Gross. He seized the Ches-Mont league and District 1 titles in ’20, and then went on to place third at states – and he was just a freshman.
“I honestly believe (Gross) has a great chance at playing on (the PGA) Tour someday,” said his coach Rob Coyne.
The 2020 Daily Local News Player of the Year, Gross is currently the number one ranked boys’ golfer in the nation for the class of 2024.
“There wasn’t any hiding from the expectations — but I crave that,” Gross said. “I want to be able to perform when there is pressure, and I think I did that.”
The team to beat in the Ches-Mont is Unionville, at least until somebody can knock them off for the first time since 2016. Junior Win Thomas established himself as an up-and-coming star last fall by leading the Longhorns in scoring average, including a 1-under par round to become the medalist at the state team tournament.
In addition, seniors Stephen Starnes and Alex Moore, and junior Danny Donnelly, are back after contributing significantly a year ago.
“We hope to continue our success in the league and at districts this year, and hopefully make a return trip to states in York,” said head coach Jimmy O’Rourke.
Downingtown West is looking to challenge in the Ches-Mont, and the Whippets have more than just Nicholas Gross. Juniors Bret Bergey and Brady Manning are now low single-digit handicap players. Bergey was a district qualifier in 2020.
“With only the loss of two players from last year, I believe this younger team has the potential to win a state title,” Coyne said. “I am extremely excited to see what this team can do. The lone question is how deep of a team we will be and can we consistently have solid fourth-to-eighth scores.”
The competition in the C-M National Division, however, is going to be fierce. West Chester Henderson notched the team title last year and has its top three players back: Dylan Kochis, Josh Baker and Sean Surowiec. A first-team All-Area selection, Kochis averaged 2-over-par per round last season, placed fifth in the district and was 43rd in the state.
“I think with our returning starters, and promising new golfers, we have a chance to go back-to-back,” said Warriors’ head coach Joel Cummings.
Mike Orenshaw is the new coach at West Chester East, replacing Todd Lorback. He inherits a very strong senior class, led by Victoria Kim, who won the girls’ PIAA individual title in 2020 and is the two-time reigning Daily Local News Girls’ Player of the Year.
The Vikings also have two other seniors – Aaron Stypulkowski and Kane Gallagher – who are proven and experienced. Stypulkowksi was a district qualifier a year ago and earned all-league second-team honors.
The lone returning standout at Downingtown East is senior Jake Leon, but he is coming off a season where he garnered first team All-Area honors. He finished in the top 10 of the Ches-Mont and tied for 12th at the district meet. Head coach Scott Yard is looking for juniors Colin Drummond, Bryan Wright and James Lambe to become regular contributors.
At Avon Grove, the future is bright with sophomore Tyler Sikorski leading the way, but the Red Devils may be a year or two away from contending after losing seven seniors. Coatesville has good numbers (20 on the roster), and seniors Bryan Taylor and Alex Kuehn are back. But the Red Raiders may struggle to find five more consistent scorers.
Multiple attempts to reach Bishop Shanahan head coach Pete Lovenguth were unsuccessful.
While Unionville has dominated the C-M American, West Chester Rustin has star power at the top to make things interesting. Seniors Ryan D’Ariano and Eric Miller were each first team All-Area recipients. Miller notched top-10 finishes in both the District 1 and PIAA Tournaments, and D’Ariano was eighth in the district and 15th at states.
The Golden Knights also have improving seniors Trevor Talerico and Nick Meisinger.
“We’re expecting big things from (Miller and D’Ariano),” head coach Joe Paris said. “I am also very excited about the two new freshmen coming in: Sam Feeney and Nick Linkchorst.”
Head coach Kevin Murphy believes that Kennett can challenge Unionville and Rustin, and he has three returnees who were district qualifiers in ’20. Senior Luke Mullen was a first team all-league selection and leads the way. Juniors Drew Zieg and Griffin Gaughan are the others. Sophomore Kasim Narinesingh-Smith and senior Ben Gehrt are also in the mix.
“I have expectations for a very strong season and we should be able to go shot-for-shot with the expected strong teams from Unionville and Rustin,” Murphy said.
There is a threesome of four-year seniors that will lead Great Valley: Ryan Wells, Matt Curtis and Jackson Wolfe. Underclassmen Charlie Noll, Noah Richardson and John Curran will provide depth.
Oxford head coach Josh Socash will have to replace five seniors to graduation, including district qualifier Joseph Madden. The Hornets will be led by current seniors Johnny Fields and Brendan Humphrey.
Even though Morgan Lofland is now a freshman playing at Penn State, Conestoga may still be the team to beat in the Central League. The Pioneers topped Radnor by 15 strokes to win the ’20 crown, and have solid returnees like senior Michael Walz, junior Kyle Mauro and sophomore Sachin Blake.
Walz is 6-foot-11 and just committed to play college basketball at Division I Richmond. He has good touch around the greens as well as great length off the tee. Seniors Matthew Loftus and Carson Wright are also in the mix.
“We are excited for the 2021 golf season, especially since last year was abbreviated and with no postseason due to COVID,” said head coach John Jones.
An impressive postseason run was the highlight of the 2020 season at Devon Prep. And the Tides’ top performer, Nick Ciocca, is back for his sophomore season. He averaged 2-under-par during Devon Prep’s nine-hole matches.
Head coach Tony Ball also has three returning seniors in Graham White, Charlie Hurchalla and Tyler Kenneson. Junior Kidder Urban is also expected to help.
Perhaps the biggest question mark this fall is Malvern Prep, who did not compete in 2020 due to the pandemic. Head coach Gary Duda is looking to replace five seniors who helped the Friars go 28-10-1 during their three seasons.
The top returning players include Keller Mulhern and Henry Fish, a pair of seniors who were second team All-Inter-Ac league picks in 2019. They averaged 38.5 and 40.1 per nine holes that season, respectively, and were among the top dozen at the league championship.
Junior Dylan O’Connor chipped in with a 41.6 scoring average as a freshman two years ago.
“There are also some young players in the program that may also get opportunities to compete at the varsity level,” Duda said. “At this point, many unknowns exist, but I’m optimistic nonetheless.”
