Three of the biggest factors for any team going into a new season are depth, talent, and experience. The Bradford boys golf team will have all three in spades.
The Owls begin their defense of their 2017 Class AAA District Championship today at the Coudersport Invitational. Bradford returns four letterwinners from last year’s group and will feature 15 players in all, giving seventh-year head coach Travis Faulkner all kinds of lineup choices as the season moves along.
From what he’s seen so far this summer, he’ll have plenty to work with.
“We have to go out there and they just have to play like they’ve played all summer,” Faulkner said. “They have to be conscious of hitting as many greens as they can so that they can score. We’ve been working on their putting strokes and making sure they can be successful and be happy with where their game is.”
Joey Frigo, A.J. Gorse, and Spencer Cornelius have already seen high-level competition this summer after competing in the Penn-York League.
“They all did really well,” Faulkner said of the trio. “They averaged better (scores) than they did last year. Things are looking up for us; we have a solid team.”
Frigo will be the de facto number one going into the season after averaging a 44 over nine holes in varsity action last year. This summer, Frigo averaged an 18-hole score of 87 in the Penn-York League while also qualifying for the Men’s Amateur at Bartlett Country Club where he shot an 84 in the first round.
“I’ve been impressed with how well he’s been driving the ball,” Faulkner said. “He puts the time in, and all that time is making a big difference. I threw him into varsity when he was a freshman, he got that varsity experience and he’s been playing more and more.”
Two other Owls who will be counted on for scoring key points will be A.J. and Joe Gorse, who shot low rounds of 43 and 44 last year, respectively.
“They’ve been playing a lot in the league,” Faulkner said of the duo. “They can both hit the ball a mile. They’ve both averaged better than ever, and their scores are getting lower as their games progress.”
Rounding out the returning letterwinners is junior Thomas Anderson, who just missed out on qualifying for Districts last year and is in contention to be in Bradford’s top four.
“He had some good scores in our preseason and first couple events,” Faulkner said. “He doesn’t hit the ball very far, but he’s accurate. That’s his big strength.”
One player to keep an eye on according to Faulkner is the freshman Cornelius.
“He’s had a pretty good summer,” Faulkner said.
That’s probably an understatement.
Cornelius was second in the Penn-York League’s Division II averaging an 87 over 18 holes and shooting an 84 at the Men’s Amateur at Bartlett C.C.
“He plays a good game,” Faulkner said, explaining, “He really thinks the course and how to get around a course. That’s kind of unusual for a freshman to do, thinking how to work the course.”
Juniors Max Greenberg, Tony Lonzi, and Peyton Manion will also compete for time in the varsity rotation.
Rounding out the roster are junior Chase Alexis, sophomore Jack Tim, and freshmen Ashton Alexis, Michael Greenberg, and Tyler O’Neil.
Faulkner hopes to improve the team’s finishes in key tournaments like today’s Coudersport Invitational (third last year), the Bavarian Hills Invitational on Monday, Aug. 20 (second last year), and the Ed Shults Toyota Bradford Invitational at the Pennhills Club on Saturday, Sep. 15.
“We’re obviously looking to move up,” Faulkner said. “We have a lot more experienced guys playing competitive golf this summer, and we hope to have a successful season.”
SCHEDULE
(home matches at Pine Acres Country Club)
August
16 — at Coudersport (Invitational)
20 — at St. Marys (Invitational), Bavarian HIlls
22 — Elk County Catholic
30 — St. Marys
September
4 — at Ridgway
5 — at Elk County Catholic
10 — at St. Marys
13 — at Kane
15 — Ed Shults Toyota Bradford Invitational, at Pennhills Club
19 — at DuBois (Invitational)
21 — at Smethport (Invitational)
26 — Ridgway
