STEVE SHERMAN
Central Bucks West golf coach Bob Schilling is the longest tenured skipper in the school district.
With the current COVID-19 health crisis still an ongoing threat, there was a certain amount of fear that Schilling’s 26-year run as the head of the Bucks might somehow be interrupted.
Despite the pandemic, Central Bucks, the Suburban One League (SOL) and the PIAA decided to move forward with the season.
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Starting a fortnight later than usual, the 2020 season has been condensed into three weeks. That has meant a golf campaign that promises to be busier than any one previous to this.
After opening with wins over CB East (Sept. 8 at Lookaway) and CB South (Sept. 9 at The Bucks Club), CB West had to cram four matches into the second week of the season beginning with a tri-match with North Penn and CB South Sept. 15 at Commonwealth.
Returning most of their varsity lineup, the 2019 Continental Conference champion Bucks began their current campaign on fire, with a convincing win over division foe CB East Sept. 8 at Lookaway. CB West senior captain Milo Jezzeny shot a match-low 36 to lead the way to a 196-209 triumph over the Patriots. Junior Alex Feraco (38) contributed with another score under 40 while juniors Kevin Lydon (40) and Jack Quinn (41) along with senior Bryce Mithoefer (41) were right behind.
The very next day at The Bucks Club, West broke the 190 benchmark with a 187-213 victory over conference foe CB South. Once again, Jezzeny led the way with a match-low 35. Junior John Lee (36) and Lydon (37) pitched in with scores under 40.
Varsity newcomer Chase Feraco (39), a sophomore at CB West, along with classmate Abby Lynn, who carded a 40, are among the youngsters shoring up the ranks of the underclassmen for the Bucks.
Despite the loss of All-SOL Continental Conference first teamer Nick Hano (Rider), West, which went unbeaten at 10-0 in 2019, is looking to record its fourth consecutive league crown. While the SOL has been realigned since last year, division foes look much the same with the Central Bucks teams in the same group with North Penn, Pennridge and Souderton.
Schilling says the upperclassmen including Alex Feraco, Jezzeny, Lydon and Lee – all of whom garnered All-SOL Continental honors in 2019 – are looking to lead the Bucks to a Colonial Division crown this year.
“The older boys have instilled an appreciation to work harder in order to maintain a certain performance level this season,” the coach commented.
“We’ve been (division) champs the last three years and with any luck, there will be a fourth this season.”
Last year as a team, the Bucks finished fifth in the District One Tournament at Turtle Creek. Lydon, who finished fourth in 2019 District One play, and Jezzeny advanced to regionals last year after finishing second and third respectively in the SOL Tournament at Five Ponds.
Individually, Schilling says Jezzeny, Lydon, Lee and Lynn all have a chance to reach states in the current campaign.
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While CB South grabbed second place in the division last year with an 8-4 record, Coach Tom Hill says the senior ranks of the current squad have been depleted by graduation. In all, there were five departures including Ryan Zakrzewski, Jack Neumann, Matt Resnick and Lizzie Palmieri. Zakrzewski and Neumann garnered all-league honors last year.
“Losing five seniors certainly impacted the team so we’re not as deep as last season,” said Hill.
Thus far this year, CB South has been led by a pair of sophomores.
Tenth graders Noah Moelter (37) and Emma Reilly (40) led the way to a 206-209 triumph over CB East in the Colonial Golf Tournament hosted by the Patriots at Lookaway. The two switched places the next day in a 213-219 win over Souderton at The Bucks Club but still scored low with Reilly breaking the 40 mark and Moelter carding 41.
Will Locovare, one of three returning senior varsity players on the squad, is also playing well, carding 44 in the win over East and 43 in the victory over Souderton.
“Emma and Noah are certainly a key to our foundation for the future as well as this season,” said Hill. “And Will has shown he’s capable of leading the team in this, his last year at CB South.”
The coach says the most improved since last season is Moelter.
“He came ready for tryouts and was shooting really well,” said Hill. “He’s capable of shooting high 30s, low 40s in any given match.”
As a team, CB South broke the 200 plateau with a 198-204 triumph over Souderton Sept. 11 at Lederach. Locovare led the way with a team-low 36. Reilly, along with returning senior Matt Piotrowicz, each carded 40 while returning senior Zach Conklin and junior Aydan Horniak contributed with scores of 41.
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Meanwhile, CB East has returned five of its eight varsity golfers including SOL Continental Conference first teamer Jack Dunsmore, this year’s team captain.
While Jack helped the Patriots to a pair of wins, carding 41 strokes in victories over North Penn and Souderton Sept. 8 at Lookaway, it was younger brother Will Dunsmore, a freshman, who carded a team-low 39. Sophomores Thomas Santanello (41) and Chandler Wood (42) contributed to the wins over the Knights and the Indians while classmate John Hoderny and senior A.J. Pirog came through with 46 strokes each.
“Sophomores Chandler Wood and John Hoderny are looking to take the next steps in their development while freshman Will Dunsmore hopes to start his own legacy in the program,” said CB East boys coach Matt Wolf. “Junior Thad Griffin, who dazzled at tryouts, and senior A.J. Pirog should provide steady consistency throughout the season.”
Seniors Jake Parker and Jack Nugent are new to the program, says Wolf, but their maturity and experience should help to balance the lineup as junior Tyler Petro and sophomores Thomas Santanello and Jack Mascolo, along with Alexander Ferguson, push the upperclassmen for spots in the top eight.
The Patriots lost three senior boys to graduation including SOL Continental second teamers Jack Herbine and Jack Williamson. On the girls side, 2020 graduate Sarah Scarpill has taken her talents to Division II Findlay.
Key returners for the East girls include sophomore Nina Harris and Leah Armour along with junior Jessie LeRay. Others to watch include juniors Aidenn O’Leary, Olivia Giuliano and Sam McEvoy.
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