By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
@NeilMGeoghegan on Twitter
EAST CALN >> It’s a new-look Downingtown West boys’ golf squad, and here’s a word to the wise for the rest of the Ches-Mont: if you want to better the Whippets, you’d better do it now rather than later.
Nick Wolfe has replaced Rob Coyne as head coach, and West just knocked off first-place West Chester Henderson 191-198 Monday at Downingtown Country Club. The Whippets did it with five scores in the 30s, and four of the squad’s top four this season are either sophomores or freshmen.
“We have good senior leadership with nine guys, but only four play on the varsity,” Wolfe said. “We have a lot of quality young guys.”
Unlike in past seasons, where it could bring in star Nick Gross for some big high school tournaments, West does not have that luxury this fall, even though Gross is a senior and eligible. He is one of the top dozen junior players in the country and has made the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup squad who will take on Europe Sept. 26-28 in Rome.
“We don’t expect to see (Gross) this season,” Wolfe said. “He’s had a great junior career. He’s playing in the Junior Ryder Cup and is fully committed to playing collegiately at Alabama. He’s accomplished everything you can accomplish in high school.”
But the Whippets do have freshmen Ian Larsen and Luke Fediukov, and sophomores Avery O’Neill and Justin Marcus. As a group, the four shot a combined 12-over-par against the Warriors to lead the way. West improves to 5-3 in the Ches-Mont National (6-3 overall) and has won four in a row.
“We had five guys in the 30s today, and it’s not like any of us had career-best rounds – we just all played solid,” said Larsen, who celebrated his 15th birthday Monday by grabbing co-medalist honors with a 2-over 37.
“It was a nice win against a very good Henderson team,” Wolfe added. “We play (Bishop) Shanahan (Tuesday) and then we have three matches next week — and that’s it for the regular season.”
Henderson edged West earlier in the season on its course, Radley Run Country Club, but the Warriors fall to 7-2 in the division and are tied with upstart Avon Grove at the top of the Ches-Mont National standings.
“Avon Grove kind of came out of nowhere,” said Henderson coach Joel Cummings. “From past experiences, we thought we had it in the bag when we played them for the first time, and it came down to one stroke. That showed me that Avon Grove is here to play.”
Earlier this season, West brought in renown putting instructor Ryan Dailey from North Carolina for a clinic. And it sure seems to have made a difference.
“These kids are very mature anyway, but I’ve noticed them growing up for the last couple weeks,” Wolfe said.
“They’ve made incredible strides in putting.”
Larsen, for example, needed just 15 putts for nine holes Monday and carded six pars, and a 2-putt birdie at the par-5 eighth.
“I really didn’t hit any good shots on No. 1 but I still got up-and-down for par,” Larsen explained. “It helps mentally to be even instead of 1-over.
“Overall I didn’t hit it tremendously, but still got the ball in the hole, which is something I do sometimes.”
Fediukov, O’Neill and senior Nathan Filidore each chipped in with identical 38s, and Marcus added a 39.
“We have depth,” Larsen said. “In case someone is sick, hurt, or has a bad day, we have others behind to take their place because usually none of us are separated by that many strokes.”
Wolfe added: “We’ve had a lot of tight matches this season. In two of them, we’ve had five guys in the 30s and still lost the match. We’ve been, consistently, around 190. We had some bad breaks early, but things have been going our way lately.”
Henderson senior Cole Snyder led the way for the Warriors with a 37 to share medalist honors, while teammates Josh Baker and Mike Cugino finished at 38 and 39, respectively.
“Our drives were not working as well,” Cummings said. “We struggled a bit off the tee. If you position yourself, you can score here, and we have done that in the past. We also had a couple wedge shots that weren’t as crisp as they usually are.
“We’d like to do better with course management and better shot selection. But we need to keep our heads up if we want to stay near the top of the (division) standings.”
The Whippets also have another promising freshman, Cole Amann, who has just now worked his way into a position to help West down the stretch.
“He has been shooting in the 30s for the last two weeks and he is going to be playing our eighth spot,” Wolfe said.
Downingtown West 191, West Chester Henderson 198
Par 35 at Downingtown CC
W.C. Henderson: Snyder 37, Baker 38, Cugino 39, Houchen 41, J. Lynn 42.
Downingtown West: Larsen 37, O’Neill 38, Fediukov 38, Filidore 38, Marcus 39.
