2025 Boys Division 2 Previews

A huge thank you to the many coaches who took the time to send in their team information!

Bay Rockets

Coach- Rick Manderine
Conference- Cleveland West Conference
Home Course- Sweetbriar
Last Year’s Results- 1st Place @ Sectionals (Pine Hills), 3rd Place @ Districts (Windmill) 10th @ Division II State Championship

Returning Players
Travis Ropelewski- 12th
Jayson Miller- 12th
Trevor Ormsby- 12th
Jayden Perrine- 12th
Ben Wagner- 12th
Matthew Mileti- 11th
Emmitt Naughton- 11th
Ryan Skryp- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Blake Ropelewski- 10th
Will Schrock- 11th
Aiden Carey- 9th
Sam Vardon- 9th

Coach Comments- After qualifying for the Division II State Finals the fellas are eager to back it up with a strong campaign. The squad returns five seniors and three juniors that earned varsity time last season. Our senior class will be the catalysts of the squad. (Sr.) Travis Ropelewski will take over the reins. He gained valuable experience at the varsity level the last two seasons. Travis plays with power. He’s a high level competitor. His short game is improving. The junior class is ready to compete and earn valuable varsity-time. We are seeking smart players that will grind-out pars. Team Goals: Compete with the high level teams in the area, make noise in the CWC conference and make a deep run into the Division II tournament.

Chagrin Falls Tigers

Coach- David Kimball
Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference (Chagrin)
Home Course- Tanglewood Golf Club
Team Website
Twitter- https://x.com/ChagrinBoysGolf
Last Year’s Results- Varsity Chagrin Division record of 8-1. Sectional Champions, District Champions, 4th place Div II State championship.

Returning Players
Jack Watson- 12th
Owen Adelman- 12th
Henry Cimperman- 12th
Peter Fischer- 11th
Rocco Dardis- 12th
Jack Orazen- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Micah Berger- 10th
Rice Johnson- 10th

Coach Comments- Jack Watson, a 2024 All-Ohio player, is returning to hopefully lead us into the State Championship for the 4th straight year. We will also have Owen Adelman, Henry Cimperman and Peter Fischer all returning with State experience. These guys along with over 6 other returning members have been working hard during the off-season and summer tournament play to reach our team and personal goals.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy Royals

Coach- Adam Armstrong
Conference- North Coast Conference
Home Course- Brookledge Golf Course

Returning Players
Andrew Van Hala- 11th
Lucas Cutlip- 10th
Ben Pittner- 11th

Coach Comments- We are returning our #1 and #2 players and hoping to see them improve upon solid years last year.

Gilmour Academy Lancers

Coach- Andy Deehr
Conference- Independent
Team Website
Twitter- GALancerBGolf
Instagram- galancerbgolf
Last Year’s Results- 3rd place finish at Sectionals, 6th Place finish at Districts, Team win at Karpis Invitational, St. Eds Green Invitational

Returning Players
Aedan Aerni- 12th
Mason Kaprosy- 12th
Christian Kerner- 12th
Ryan Panzica- 12th
Brody Philipp- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Luke Woodhouse- 10th
Ricky Piunno- 12th
Iulius Braho- 11th

Coach Comments- We are returning our core group of players from last year. We are expecting them to take a giant leap this year to make a run in the postseason.

Hubbard Eagles

Coach- David Cooper
Conference- Northeast 8 Conference
Home Course- Pine Lakes Golf Course
Facebook- Hubbard High School Athletics
Last Year’s Results- Came in 3rd in the NE-8, We had one tournament win and a 2nd and a 4th ,Placed 3rd the last two years in sectional and qualified twice for district. We are looking to repeat and hopefully qualify for state either as a team or individually

Returning Players
Coltin Smith- 12th
Jonathan Adamson- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Jacob Scarmack- 12th
Niko Papini- 12th
Colin Gilliland- 11th
Markel Hackwelder- 11th
Shawn Marcello- 11th
Logan Ward- 9th
Mason Horner- 9th

Coach Comments- We have room for improvement The one and two spots are solid and I expect a couple of the potenial varsity players to step up including the two freshman. Competition brings the cream to the top and these seven will be competing for the four spots available.

Lake Catholic Cougars

Coach- Marty Hyland
Conference- North Coast Conference
Home Course- Black Brook
Last Year’s Results- 1District Qualifier, Team Runner-up in NCC

Returning Players
Brayden Mann- 12th
Patrick Zigman- 12th
Mason Panhorst- 10th

Marlington Dukes

Coach- Rob Beamer
Conference- Eastern Buckeye Conference
Home Course- Tannenhauf Golf Club
Last Year’s Results- 3rd Place in the EBC

Returning Players
Isaac McIntyre- 12th
Ben Warner- 11th
Logan Misch- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Gavan Harsh- 11th
Trey Miller- 10th

Coach Comments- Our returning upper classman will have to provide good leadership as we have 8 incoming freshman trying to gain a spot on the varsity.

Norton Panthers

Coach- Mike Maile
Conference- Metro Athletic Conference
Home Course- Spring Hills
Last Year’s Results- 14-2 in MAC play (Co Champions)

Returning Players
Braden Gunter
Noah Landers
Stone Hardy
Anderson Hardy

Potential New Contributors
Chase Landry
Evan Butcher

Coach Comments- We expect to compete for conference championship

Orange Lions

Coach- Rick Clark
Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference
Home Course- Highland/The Country Club/Mayfield
X- @OHSBoysGolf
Last Year’s Results- Team District Qualifier

Returning Players
Jayden Park- 12th
Sammy Heiser- 11th
Jordan Clotman- 11th
Charlie Thomas- 10th
Russell Melvey- 11th

Coach Comments- The Lions will bring back a lot of experience (5 returning varsity players) and hope to get back to Districts and potentially make a run at state. Jayden, Sammy, and Jordan bring a ton of match and tournament experience into this upcoming season.

Poland Bulldogs

Coach- Pat Carden
Conference- Northeast 8 Conference
Home Course- Knoll Run Golf Course
X- @PSHS_Boys_Golf
Last Year’s Results- Northeast 8 Conference Champions, JFK Invitational Champions, Sectional Champions, District Runners-Up, 8th Place State Championships – Division 2

Returning Players
Angelo Rinaldi- 11th
Matt Morrone- 11th
Ryan Lombardo- 11th
AJ Battaglia- 12th
Zach Ohlin- 12th
Parker Ogden- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Carter Iberis- 10th
Noah Gabriel- 9th

Coach Comments- With everyone returning from last season and adding some new pieces to the mix, we hope to repeat the success that we had. Angelo Rinaldi & Matt Morrone are two names to watch out for at the top of the leaderboard of any tournament we play in.

Pymatuning Valley Lakers

Coach- Jeff Compan
Conference- Northeastern Athletic Conference
Home Course- Bronzwood
Last Year’s Results- 18-3 2nd Place NAC 6th place finish Div 2 Sectionals Quail Hollow

Returning Players
Kaden Lewis- 12th
Andrew Wludyga- 11th
Logan Paul- 11th
Wyatt Karbacka- 11th
Rylan Compan- 10th

Coach Comments- We bring back our whole team from last year, With another year of growth we are excited for the upcoming season

Southeast Pirates

Coach- Mike Jenior
Conference- Mahoning Valley Conference
Home Course- Olde Dutch Mill GC
Social Media- @SPirategolf
Last Year’s Results- – Finished the season (13-5) Overall (10-4) in the MVAC (2nd) Best Record since I have been coaching
– Finished 2nd in the MVAC Tournament with a season low 324
• T-3rd of 14 teams in the D2 Sectional @ Windmill with a 335 (Lost 5th man play-off score to Qualify for Districts)
o James Morgan Earned MVAC “Player of the Year Honors” (2nd POY award in a row)
o James Morgan earned 1st Team All-MVAC 3rd year in a row
o Alex Peelish earned 2nd Team All-MVAC
o Cole Bruno & Ethan Shodd earned Honorable Mention All-MVAC
o James Morgan became second Southeast Golfer ever to qualify for the State Tournament
o James Morgan won the D2 Sectional with a 69 qualifying for Districts a second year in a row
o Cole Bruno Qualified for Districts as an individual becoming the third Pirate Golfer ever to qualify for the District Tournament.

Returning Players
James Morgan- 12th
Shade Stevens- 12th
Cole Bruno- 11th
Alex Peelish- 11th
Ethan Shodd – 11th
Josh Donovan- 11th
Braeden Martin- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Logan Blankenship- 9th
Logan Shodd- 9th
Owen Dombrowski- 9th

Coach Comments- The expectations for the Pirates this season are the highest we have ever been. We return everyone from last year and at team that finished 2nd in the MVAC, tied for 3rd at sectionals and had one State qualifier and two district qualifiers. James Morgan is hands down one of the best golfers in the State across all divisions and will lead arguably the best boy’s team that Southeast has ever had going into the 2025 season. Junior Cole Bruno came on strong at the end of the season last year finishing 2nd in the MVAC and qualified out of sectionals with a 75 at Windmill. Alex Peelish, Ethan Shodd, and Shade Stevens are all capable or rounds in the high 30’s and low 40’s on a consistent basis. We can’t wait for the season to begin!

Springfield Spartans

Coach- Jack Morgan
Conference- Metro Athletic Conference
Home Course- Chenoweth Golf Course
Last Year’s Results- 15-5

Returning Players
Wyatt Bartholomew- 12th
Liam Miller- 10th
Nathan Meyer- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Nathan Vorthong- 9th
Carter Hahn- 9th
Caleb Walberg- 9th

Coach Comments- The 2025 Springfield Spartans will be very young next season but have alot of talent. We are excited for what is in store for this upcoming season!

Streetsboro Rockets

Coach- Bruce Thomas
Conference- Metro Athletic Conference
Home Course- Boulder Creek
Last Year’s Results- MAC champs with a record of 13-1 and 2nd place finish in the MAC tournament and an overall record of 14-4.

Returning Players
Brett Epple- 12th
Bryce Pocek- 12th
Evan Reger- 12th
Dominic Marcini- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Brody Sanford- 11th
Brady Long- 11th

Coach Comments- After winning the 1st league championship in school history, the players are working hard to win a 2nd and also want to be the first team to ever qualify for the state tournament.

Tuslaw Mustangs

Coach- Matthew Halter
Conference- Principals Athletic Conference
Home Course- The Elms
Last Year’s Results- 21-2 overall record, 11-1 PAC-7 Conference (2nd place), 3rd place at the Northwest Invite, 5th place at the Griffith’s Cup, 2nd place at the PAC-7 Championship, 7th place at the State Farm Invite, 7th place at the Sectional Tournament

Returning Players
Lincoln Cocklin- 12th
Nick Lytle- 11th
Kole Back- 11th
Elijah Cockrill- 10th
Jase Beall- 10th
Hudson Hoffman- 10th
Kyle Tapp- 10th

Coach Comments- The PAC-7 Conference is going to be competitive. Manchester, Orrville and Tuslaw will be the teams to watch. Our players have been and will continue to put in the work that is needed. I look forward to watching them improve and get better everyday. Nick Lytle will return to lead the Mustangs after earning first team All-Stark County last year. Lincoln Cocklin, our only senior, is healthy and ready to go. Kole Back will look to solidify our lineup. We also have several sophomores that are eager to see significant playing time.

Waynedale Golden Bears

Coach- Melinda Budd
Conference- Wayne County Athletic League
Home Course- Riceland Golf Course
Last Year’s Results- Wayne County Athletic League Champs

Returning Players
Jordan Miller- 12th
Hank Miller- 12th
Brayden Schlabach- 12th
Caden Snyder- 12th
Hudson Barkman- 11th
Logan Troyer- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Cooper Miller- 9th

Coach Comments- Looking forward to a strong season, as we did not graduate any varsity players.. With the addition of Cooper Miller our goal is to take the next step with this group and qualify as a team to the State Tournament.

West Geauga Wolverines

Coach- Jay Kletecka
Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference
Home Course- Fowler’s Mill Maple 9
Team Website
Social Media
Last Year’s Results- 5-5 record. CVC Postseason 339 Finished 2nd in the CVC standings Sectionals 371, Dylan Phillips Sectionals shot 72. Districts Dylan Phillips 74. State Tournament Dylan Phillips Day 1 82, Day #2 83

Returning Players
Dylan Phillips- 10th
Cole Goss- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Joe Trentanelli- 10th
Chuck Parisi- 10th
EJ Bican- 10th
Cooper Paskowski- 11th
Mitchell Nitz- 10th
Jake Gawloski- 10th
NIck Gierman- 10th
Evan Sustin- 12th
Andrew Arra- 12th

Coach Comments- Looking for another outstanding season from Sophomore Dylan Phillips this year. Last year as a Freshman, Dylan qualified for the State Tournament by shooting 74 at the Windmill Lake District. Dylan is a complete player that puts tremendous time and effort into his game.

2025 Boys Division 3 Previews

A huge thank you to the many coaches who took the time to send in their team information!

Black River Pirates

Coach- Dave Mate II
Conference- Lorain County Conference
Home Course- Rolling Acres

Returning Players
Hunter Mate- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Landyn Herrick- 11th
Wade Mangan- 10th
Kohl Henry- 10th
Adalee Hollan- 10th
Caroline Maat- 10th

Coach Comments- We are a fairly young inexperienced team this season besides Hunter. My team expectations are for everyone to improve throughout the season, the newcomers to learn and understand the rules, display good sportsmanship, and to enjoy the game.

Cardinal Mooney Cardinals

Coach- Mary Theresa Bellino
Conference- Independent
Home Course- Mill Creek Golf Course – South Course
Last Year’s Results- NE DIII Sectionals @ Salem Hills Golf Club – 1st Place (309); NE DIII Districts @ Tannenhauf Golf Club – 2nd Place (321); DIII State Tournament @ NorthStar Golf Club – 10th Place (668)

Returning Players
Alex Eckstein- 12th
Dante Turner- 12th
Constantine Stamp- 12th
Katie Pregibon- 12th
Tyler Guerrieri- 11th

Potential New Contributors
Ford Stacy- 11th
Pierce Jones- 12th
Sam Scott- 11th

Loudonville Redbirds

Coach- Jim Conley
Conference- Knox Morrow Athletic Conference
Home Course- Round Lake GC
Last Year’s Results- 8-4 in league play, finished 3rd in the KMAC

Returning Players
Landon Barnett- 10th
Wyatt Denslow- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Ethan Hess- 10th
Caleb Koch- 11th
Liam Rush- 10th
Charlie Whitmore- 9th
Gracie Jeffries- 9th
Tyler Carpenter- 10th

Coach Comments- We have a young team this year with a lot of potential. The future is bright for golf in Loudonville!

Mineral Ridge Rams

Coach- Nick Flaviano
Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference
Home Course- Duck Creek
Last Year’s Results- 13-7

Returning Players
Vinny Simone- 11th
Jack Geddes- 12th
Blake Basista- 12th
Caiden Powell- 12th
Kyle Ague- 12th
Grant Wiscott- 12th
Eric Christoff- 12th
Dylan Robbins- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Logan Baylor- 10th
Dominic Balestrino- 9th
Toby McElhaney- 9th
Gavin Killarney- 10th

Kirtland Hornets

Coach- Sam Kless
Conference- Chagrin Valley Conference (Valley)
Home Course- St Denis
Last Year’s Results- Team Qualified for District. With sophomore Nick Nead qualified for state, finishing 20th overall, Maggie Kothera qualified for girls district tournament

Returning Players
Nick Nead- 11th
Sammy Ridgeway- 11th
Ryan Green- 11th
Maggie Kothera- 11th
Danny Shafer- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Luke LaGanke- 9th
Johnny Scalish- 10th
Nolan Van Loan- 11th

Coach Comments- Looking forward to this season with experienced players and still pretty young

McDonald Blue Devils

Coach- Matt Vukovic
Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (Scarlet)
Home Course- Mahoning Golf Course
Last Year’s Results- Overall 14-3, MVAC 2nd place, MVAC Tournament 2nd place, Sectionals 6th place

Returning Players
Jaxson Candel- 12th
Brady Flere- 12th
Chris Ragazzine- 12th
Josh Srock- 12th

Potential New Contributors
Zach Booth- 10th
Dacota Hickox- 10th
Nick Larson- 10th
Anthony Larson- 12th

Coach Comments- We are going back to the basics. We want to play some good, honest golf. With several key players back and some new additions, we are looking to build on the success we had last year. It’s time to get back to playing our best golf possible.

Mogadore Wildcats

Coach- Chris Mossa
Conference- Independent
Home Course- Paradise Lakes GC
Last Year’s Results- 13-3 overall record. Finished 5th at D3 Sectional @ Salem Hills GC

Returning Players
Jude Thiry- 12th
Tyler Pendergast- 12th
Max Shannon- 11th
Noah Hopkins- 11th
Jackson Lanham- 11th
Brock Thiry- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Gavin Gardner- 11th
Blake Waterhouse- 11th
Landon Shaffer- 11th
Mason Storey- 11th
Max Simone- 10th

Coach Comments- Excited for the 2025 season b/c we have great senior leadership and several golfers w varsity experience. Looking to build on last year’s success and a return trip to the District.

Open Door Christian Patriots

Coach- Eric Wagner
Conference- Independent
Home Course- Whiskyville
Team Website
Last Year’s Results- 8-1, JFK Invitational – 23rd place, LCAAA Invitational – 12th place, Will Giesbrecht – District qualifier

Returning Players
Evan Reed- 12th
Coltan Burrer- 12th
Weston Hunger- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Max Sooy- 9th
Will Heppner- 9th

Rootstown Rovers

Coach: Keith Waesch (29th year)
Conference: Chagrin Valley Conference (Valley Division)
Home Course: Sunny Hill 
Last Year’s Results: 13-6 overall record, 3rd place in Portage Trail Conference

Returning Players
Caleb Stevens- 12th
Ryan Wolf- 12th
Drew Just- 10th
Nathan Waesch- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Anthony Pratt- 11th
Troy Kopac- 10th
Brayden McColloch- 10th
Sam Klem- 9th

Coach Comments – We will be a young team experience-wise after graduating five seniors. We are looking forward to playing in the Chagrin Valley Conference for the first time this fall.

Waterloo Vikings

Coach- Matthew Flanagan
Conference- Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference
Home Course- Paradise Lake Country Club
X- @WHSVikingGolf
Last Year’s Results- 7-10 overall, 6-8 MVAC

Returning Players
Blade Ascarrunz- 12th
Shelby Wilson- 11th
Trevor Flarida- 10th
Cole Kaiser- 10th
Mason Long- 10th

Potential New Contributors
Grayson Griffin- 10th
Jayden Eichler- 9th
Kendall Enos- 9th

Coach Comments- We will be a very young team this upcoming season with a roster that is mostly freshmen and sophomores. As a group, we will be looking to gain tournament and course experience, as well as, build confidence in our swing.

Welcome to the 2025 Golf Season

It is July 28th, 2025! This is the day we have been looking forward to ever since the State Championship tournaments wrapped up last year. Schools are now able to officially start tryouts, practices, matches, and tournaments.

This will be our third season covering Girls Golf in Northeast Ohio. We will be releasing previews for every girls golf team in the OHSAA Northeast District later this week. Coaches have been sending in information throughout the entire summer. We also will have previews for approximately 65 boys teams that responded to our survey.

If there is any content that you would like to see published on our website and social media, please feel free to send it to bolinr@hudson.k12.oh.us and we will try to get it out there. You can also contact us through our Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts. We are trying to promote the sport and shed positive light on all of our teams.

For the first time in well over a decade, the defending Division 1 State Champion is from Northeast Ohio. One last time, we would like to congratulate Magnificat and coach Danny Gallagher on this amazing feat. They will be looking to repeat and will bring back a team that is more than capable of doing so.

On the boys side, Archbishop Hoban and coach Quinn Parker are no strangers to being at the top of the State Tournament. This year, it will be held right in their backyard at Firestone Country Club. The amount of talent in our part of the state is incredible, and there are multiple teams that have a chance to make a run at the title.

We also make sure to cover Division 2 and boys Division 3 golf, teams that sometimes get overlooked by much of the news media. There are a lot of regional media outlets that cover their local schools (shoutout to Tom Nader, Susan Jenior, YSN, the News Herald, the Medina Gazette, and many others) but we try to be a little more comprehensive to get all teams the attention they deserve.

The race to the State Tournament in Girls Division 2 is going to be really excited to follow this season. Based on our projections and models, there are six or seven schools that will have at least an outside shot of representing the Northeast District at Heatherwoode in October.

After following summer golf, there are some insanely good players to watch. Northeast Ohio is fortunate to be a hotbed of quality players and teams that are exciting to watch play. While we can’t name them all right here, look for our “Players to Watch” post that comes out with the previews later this week. These players will be following a legacy set by some amazing athletes that are still making waves in the college and professional golf scenes.

Personally, I am so excited for this season with my team, the Hudson Explorers. We are returning some quality players, but even more importantly, some quality people. It is truly an honor to be able to work with our players and their families on a yearly basis. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to this every year. Most importantly, I am anticipating that we have nine freshmen trying out for our teams, and all of them having been working hard in the offseason.

Once again, we absolutely love covering this sport and we appreciate all the followers, coaches, players, and parents who help make this possible. We are hoping that everyone has a wonderful season in which you reach all your goals and stay healthy through the process. We look forward to promoting our teams and making 2025 the best season yet!

2025 Golden Age Classic Recap

On Sunday, 23 golfers descended upon Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby, Ohio and competed in the 2nd edition of the Golden Age Classic. The weather was a little sketchy at first but it turned out to be a perfect day for golf. The course was in incredible condition and allowed for some very low scores.

No one went lower than Ryan Yoder from Amherst, Ohio, who fired a tournament low three under par 69 in the Men’s A flight. Yoder was in good shape after shooting 37 on the front, but he caught fire on the back and removed all doubt as he signed for 32. He had bogey on the very difficult 10th hole and did not drop another shot for the remainder of round. After a par on number 11, he birdied both of the back-to-back par 5s, parred holes 14 and 15, and finished with three straight birdies. Gil Van Bokkelen of Hudson had a terrific round of 75, including two birdies, to take second place. Jerry Du’s 79 was good enough for third place. Du is an incoming junior at Hudson High School.

Low scores were the norm in the Women’s flight. Julia Gulla, a recent graduate of Nordonia High School, took home the trophy as she shot a one over par 73. Gulla’s front nine included a birdie on hole 6, mixed in with five pars and three bogeys. Similar to Yoder, she tore up the back nine, shooting a one under par 35. She bogeyed the 10th hole, birdied both of the short par 5s, then finished with par on the final five holes. Emmy Burling, a Hudson graduate who will be Gulla’s teammate at John Carroll University, finished in second place with a solid round of 77, which included two birdies in the first five holes. Julia Van Bokkelen, also a 2025 Hudson graduate, shot even par 36 on the front nine and ended up shooting an 80 to take the bronze.

In the Men’s B flight, Phil Burling of Hudson was the champion. Burling shot 41 on the front and 44 on the back to total and 85 and win by six shots over the 2024 champion Fangming Du, also of Hudson. Burling made five pars and did not score worse than double bogey on any hole. Du’s 91 was good enough for second place and Al Evangelista of Cleveland finished third with a 93.

It was a terrific day for golf as usual at Manakiki. We are looking forward to the 2026 Golden Age Classic!

Scores

Women’s Red
First NameLast NameFrontBackTotalPlace
JuliaGulla3835731
EmmyBurling3839772
JuliaVan Bokkelen3644803
Men’s A
First NameLast NameFrontBackTotalPlace
RyanYoder3732691
GilVan Bokkelen3738752
JerryDu3940793
BobbyBolin4040804
MichaelAmbrosino4239815
MichaelLabenz4140815
AlexShaw4239815
ColeChluda4143848
JacksonChoi4441859
TimAli46408610
LukeHarris49419011
JimAli46479312
JakeVarga46479312
Men’s B
First NameLast NameFrontBackTotalPlace
PhilBurling4144851
FangmingDu4645912
AlEvangelista4647933
DougBenzel4847954
BrandonHarris5443975
KevinVan Bokkelen51541056

Boys Team Needed for NEO Co-Ed Tournament

A boys team is needed to play along with the Perry girls at the NEO Co-Ed Tournament on August 4th at Arrowhead GC. It is an 8:30 am shotgun start, play 5 golfers count 4. The entry fee is $265 and includes and a pasta and salad lunch.

Please contact Scott Snyder at 330-704-8019 or scott.snyder@northcantonschools.org if you are available and interested.

2025 Independent Schools Preview

Magnificat became the first Division 1 Northeast Ohio school in well over a decade to win the State Championship after coming out of nowhere to down perennial powers Dublin Jerome and New Albany. The Blue Streaks will lose Cammy Reed, who was the face of their program, but Blue Streak fans have nothing to fear, because now it will be younger sister Calli Reed’s turn to continue on the family tradition of dominance. The sophomore will join players from each grade level to put together a top tier lineup. Senior Kristina Chill, junior Kayla Knaze, and her younger sister freshman Korinne Knaze will be a formidable lineup as they look to repeat the glory from 2024. Magnificat may be close to a lock to head back to the State Tournament, but they will still have stiff competition to win their own conference. Walsh Jesuit has worked to build a dominant lineup of their own. Sophomore Sarah Vojtko exceeded all expectations as a freshman and has quickly become one of the best players around. Junior Yumi Kohara has proven to be a steady player and seniors Colleen Stadler and Gianna Rodenhauser bring a ton of experience to the table. Magnificat and Walsh Jesuit both also have several players outside of their top four who can step up when needed and not miss a beat. Sophomore Kellen Gleason and senior Gwen Slabaugh will fill that role for Magnificat while sophomore Vivian Eich will be a strong contributor for the Warriors. After making a run to the State Tournament, the St. Joseph Academy Jaguars will be looking to take a repeat trip in 2025. They will have to do it with Gianna Reginelli, one of the greatest to don the purple and gold. Stepping into the Jaguar driver’s seat will be senior Emerson Glending, who has the potential to be a star this season. It will be the post Dixon Hill era in Shaker Heights as Hathaway Brown will turn to some young up and coming players to compete. Sophomore Saijal Jawa came out of nowhere in her rookie season last year and established herself as the future for the Blazers. In Akron, 2025 was a bit of a disappointment for the St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish, not because of performance but because of numbers. St. V was not able to enter into any team events, although Caitrin Coyle and Rylee Hoover, both of who will be seniors this year, gained valuable experience. The Irish are expecting a complete roster this season and will immediately be one of the better independent teams in Northeast Ohio. Gilmour Academy will be another team to watch as their numbers have continued to grow. They will have the needed depth to perform, but they will need some players to step up and lead the team on the scoreboard. Our Lady of the Elms is a growing program that is becoming more competitive each year and Archbishop Hoban will look to get some energy from juniors Lily Taylor and Nicole Krohn, who both look to have impactful seasons. Ursuline might not be contending beyond the District Tournament, but they will be building their young, talented roster for the future. The Bristol Panthers have become very relevant recently, and junior Anistyn Williams will look to take over the number one spot from graduate Addison Williams. Laurel will once again be relying on senior Elizabeth Weingart as the look to add some depth in 2025. Finally, keep an eye on the Cardinal Huskies, who will be in their first year as a program under coach Mike Topalian, who will be coaching both the boys and girls teams.

Impact Players

Brooklyn Berkowitz (JR) Our Lady of the Elms
Kristina Chill (SR) Magnificat
Tabitha Christman (SR) Firestone
Allison Clark (JR) Pymatuning Valley
Charley Collins (SR) Lake Center Christian
McCamey Compan (JR) Pymatuning Valley
Caitrin Coyle (SR) St. Vincent-St. Mary
Vivian Eich (SO) Walsh Jesuit
Autumn Fulks (JR) Chippewa
Tess Gibel (SR) St. Joseph Academy
Kayden Gillin (SR) Bristol
Kellen Gleason (SO) Magnificat
Emerson Glending (SR) St. Joseph Academy
Rylee Hoover (SR) St. Vincent-St. Mary
Saijal Jawa (SO) Hathaway Brown
Kayla Knaze (JR) Magnificat
Yumi Kohara (JR) Walsh Jesuit
Nicole Krohn (JR) Hoban
Kylie Luke (SR) Pymatuning Valley
Ellen Mingus (SR) St. Joseph Academy
Becca Padgett (SR) Our Lady of the Elms
Gianna Palumbo (JR) Lowellville
Calli Reed (SO) Magnificat
Bella Rosko (JR) Gilmour
Colleen Stadler (SR) Walsh Jesuit
Vera Swartz (JR) St. Joseph Academy
Lily Taylor (JR) Hoban
Sarah Vojtko (SO) Walsh Jesuit
Elizabeth Weingart (SR) Laurel
Maria Wilon (SR) Ursuline
Anistyn Williams (JR) Bristol

Freshmen to Watch

Hadley Bashiem (Gilmour)
Vivian Cleveland (Gilmour)
Callie Dennison (Gilmour)
Zara Fritz (Gilmour)
Clare Kenny (Gilmour)
Korinne Knaze (Magnificat)
Emily Krammes (Hoban)
Clara Miller (Ursuline)
Sophia Scianna (Ursuline)
Cecilia Voelker (Hathaway Brown)

Akron North Vikings

Head Coach- Mike McBennett
Last Year’s Results- DNS at Fox Den Sectional

Bristol Panthers

Head Coach- James Vecchio
Last Year’s Results- 5th at Punderson Sectional

Cardinal Huskies

Head Coach- Mike Topalian
Last Year’s Results- DNS at Punderson Sectional
Coach’s Comments- This is Cardinal’s first ever girls team! Cambrya played Boys JV last year and the others are all brand new to golf. All of the players are young so we are excited to have them as the cornerstone to build on for the next few years.

Chippewa Chipps

Head Coach- Jason Egli
Last Year’s Results- DNS at The Pines Sectional

Firestone Falcons

Head Coach- Justin Persinger
Last Year’s Results- 13th at Fox Den Sectional

Gilmour Academy Lancers

Head Coach- John Malloy
Last Year’s Results- 12th at Punderson Sectional, 4-8
Coach’s Comments- The enthusiasm to play girls golf is at a high with over 25 girls planning on playing. I am excited to help these young ladies pursue their own goals while playing this wonderful sport.

Hathaway Brown Blazers

Head Coach- Ronald Jones
Last Year’s Results- 3rd at Old Avalon Sectional, 6th at Brookledge District

Archbishop Hoban Knights

Head Coach- Katie Camp and Matt Monter
Last Year’s Results- DNS at The Elms Sectional
Coach’s Comments- We have four varsity players returning and about 12 new players the roster for tryouts. We are excited to see the growth in the team and create some bench strength for coming years. All of the returning players have been putting in the work in the offseason with lifting and practice. Lily Taylor has been successful in several NOPGA events, and has continued to lower her scores, she will be one to watch out for this season.

Lake Center Christian Tigers

Head Coach- Randy Yoder
Last Year’s Results- 11th at The Pines Sectional, 4-7 (overall), 2-2 (Portage Trail Conference)
Coach’s Comments- We’ll have a good mix of experience and youth at LCCS this season with five returning varsity players and five newcomers to the team. This will be Charley Collins’ third season leading the team as our number one and she’ll have some experience behind her as Josefina Freeman and Hailee Gingerich look to build on strong finishes from last year in our two and three spots. Intra-squad battles between the returning letter-winners and newcomers will fill out the rest of our varsity roster. Without a conference we’ll be looking to gain experience as the season progresses and be playing our best golf at the end of September – for the Stark County Championships and OHSAA tournament.

Laurel Gators

Head Coach- Marti Hardy
Last Year’s Results- 14th at Punderson Sectional
Coach’s Comments- Laurel is looking forward to a good year in golf; we only have 4 returning Varsity players, but will be watching the 9th graders and sophomores to compete for the last two spots. There’s potential to improve on last season and we are proud to represent Laurel’s golf team. Go Gators!

Lowellville Rockets

Head Coach- Daniel Dougherty
Last Year’s Results- 15th at Pine Lakes Sectional

Magnificat Blue Streaks

Head Coach- Danny Gallagher
Last Year’s Results- 1st at Big Met Sectional, 1st at Brookledge District, D1 State Champions
Coach’s Comments- We are excited to bring back some experience from our State Championship Team. We will also add some talented younger players to our program. We are in hopes to make another deep run this season.

Pymatuning Valley Lakers

Head Coach- Jeff Compan
Last Year’s Results- 4th at Pine Lakes Sectional, 10th at Good Park District

Our Lady of the Elms Panthers

Head Coach- Kellie Padgett
Last Year’s Results- 7th at The Pines Sectional

St. Joseph Academy Jaguars

Head Coach- Maureen Adler
Last Year’s Results- 2nd at Big Met Sectional, 5th at Brookledge District, Gianna Reginelli ‘25 came in 4th as individual at States
Coach’s Comments- We are looking forward to a great season for Saint Joseph Academy. We missed States by 3 strokes last year. We have 4 of the 5 golfers returning who remember that very clearly. 3 solid senior golfers and 3 talented juniors make for an exciting season to come. Emerson Glending has been shooting in the 70s and Tess Gibel and Ellen Mingus are right behind her in the low 80s

St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish

Head Coach- Dirk Hartman
Last Year’s Results- DNS at The Pines Sectional

Ursuline Fighting Irish

Head Coach- Michael Murphy
Last Year’s Results- 7th at Pine Lakes Sectional

Walsh Jesuit Warriors

Head Coach- Bill Reilly
Last Year’s Results- 2nd at Fox Den Sectional, 2nd at Brookledge District, 10th at State Tournament
Coach’s Comments- Walsh Jesuit has had a proud history with many successes. Though success in recent past 5-6 years has been gauged by the number of top 5 finishes in tournaments with a couple of wins dropped in each year. The 2024 team has brought back that ‘Measure of Success’ this year to whether we make it to the State Tournament each year or not. AND WITH THESE 2 FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES, and 2 JUNIORS, we Certainly DID !!!! Only the 2nd time in 5 years did we qualifying through the sectional event. Junior Co-Captains Colleen Stadler and Gianna Rodenhauser did a very nice job of communicating, organizing, and transporting their young teammates. The Lady Warriors were moved out of the conference championship, won 2023 by a massive of 89 strokes. They proceeded to win 3 invites (Kent, Medina, Summit Co.) and also had runner-up in four events (Canfield invitational, Canterbury invitational, Districts and Sectionals) (3) 3rds. (1) 4th and (1) 5th 12 of 14 Top4 !! Freshman Sarah Vojtko quickly rose to becoming one of the top 10 players in N.Ohio with a scoring average 76.3 and low scores of 70 (Medina) and 71 (Districts). Individually, Yumi Kohara had a career low 72 in Sectionals, Vivian Eich a 78 at Summit County, Sarah had 9 hole Record 32. The team tied the all-time scoring record at Fox Meadow winning with a 309, and Sectionals breaking the record with 307.

Sarah Vojtko: where do we start? Best start ever for a freshman, surpassing LPGA Star Kathleen Ekey, with an average 76.3 and low scores of 70 (Medina) & 71 (districts) and a 9 hole scoring record 32. She was runner up Districts with 71, top 20 at State, multiple times named Player of the week, All-District Team, Plain Dealer All Stars Honorable Mention, Beacon Journal All Stars Team. She is such a strong influence on teammates with actions pushing them to reach past current success to strive for more much more


Buckeye High School Coaching Positions Available

Buckeye High School in Medina is looking for two coaches for the upcoming fall season:
Girls Varsity Head Coach
Boys Assistant Coach

Buckeye is anticipating that 2025 will be their first season with a girls team and are looking for a coach to help start the program. They also need an assistant coach for their boys team that will be primarily responsible for the JV team.

Please contact Boys Head Coach Bob Miller at bmiller@buckeyeschools.org for more information.

Remembering Joe Denton

The Northeast Ohio golf community lost a legend on April 28th. Longtime golf coach Joe Denton passed away at the age of 81 leaving a legacy of major contributions to the game of golf. He coached the boys team at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and Walsh Jesuit High School and most recently was an assistant coach for the girls team at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. He also founded the women’s golf team at Cleveland State University and served as an assistant professional at Sharon Country Club. In addition to his golf accomplishments, he coached football and men’s basketball at several local high schools and colleges. Our condolences go out to all the lives that Joe Denton touched, especially his friends and families.

Obituary

Kevin Fitch named Girls Golf Coach at Avon Lake

Kevin Fitch will be taking over the position of Head Girls Golf Coach at Avon Lake High School for the 2025 season. The position is nothing new for Fitch, who served in the same role prior to the 2014 season, where the program had numerous successful runs. He will take over for Krystine Frisch, who recently announced her retirement. Under Frisch, the Shoregals won seven Southwestern Conference championships and made several appearances at the District Tournament. Fitch will inherit the program with a young roster that has good potential. The team looks to be led by sophomore Lily Dorsey, who came out of nowhere as a freshman last season. Senior Samantha Kennedy, junior Julia Skelton, and sophomore Isla Rowney will fill out most of the varsity roster under Fitch.

OHSAA Announces Official Start Date for 2025 Season

The 2025 high school golf season will officially tee off on Monday, July 28th, 2025. Teams may begin tryouts and hold events beginning on that date. The golf season is historically the first OHSAA sport to get started and 2025 will be no exception.

Here is the letter sent out by Monroe Britton, the OHSAA golf administrator:

Good afternoon,

This email is to inform you of a date change to the beginning of the 2025 OHSAA Golf Season. Previously, the start date for coaching and competition for the 2025 golf season was set for Friday, August 1. Due to tee time availability, as well as inflated tee time rates on the weekends, the OHSAA Board of Directors voted to move the start date for golf to Monday, July 28, 2025. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thanks,

Monroe Britton – Golf Administrator

Thank you,
Ohio High School Athletic Association

Trending, Mending, and Contending – 2025 D2 Offseason

The top levels of Division 2 golf in Northeast Ohio tend to be more fluid than are seen in Division 1. With smaller rosters and less depth across the board, teams have more opportunities to compete for District and State tournament bids. One superstar player could be all a team needs to make a deep run in conference and postseason tournaments. The parity makes Division 2 hard to predict, especially several months before the beginning of the season. Here are some thoughts and observations on how the landscape of Division 2 golf looks as of the end of January 2025.

Contending

Teams that have good depth are rare in Division 2, and teams that have that depth immediately gain contender status. No team in Division 2 has more depth than the Southeast Pirates. Even losing distinguished star Taylor Blazek, Southeast will return some quality players, including sophomore Samantha Morgan and senior Aubree Varga along with sisters Jennifer and Jessi Mix.

Chagrin Falls climbed over the hump and made an appearance at the State Tournament in 2024 and they will look to go back in 2025. Much of that success can be attributed to Elizabeth Pollock, who had a memorable freshman season. She will be back and better than ever for the Tigers and will be joined by senior Reagan Burnight and juniors Kate Murphy and Natalie Vernosky.

The Columbiana Clippers had one of their best seasons in recent memory in 2024, even though they had hoped they would go another round in the tournament season. Columbiana is another team that has a large, deep roster with many players who can contribute. 2025 should be another strong season for Columbiana as they return much of their core. Seniors Sophia Perry and Alyssa Kakavros along with juniors Maddie Jackson and Victoria Buckingham provide a solid starting four players. Look for senior Sydney Spaite to make an impact this fall as well.

Junior Anuja Patel has already had a huge impact on the Northeast Ohio golf scene and she will be back at work with her Orange Lions in 2025. Orange has developed a nice supporting cast to complement Patel and they will be fighting for Chagrin Valley Conference supremacy as well as District and State tournament berths. Seniors Bree Turner and Alex O’Connor will be significant role players for the Lions.

It will be hard to get used to seeing the Edgewood Warriors without Avery Vencill, but seniors Annie Johnston and Zoe Naus have both grown as players and leaders over the past several years. They will keep the Warriors in the conversation throughout 2025. The team’s success could be dependent on sophomores Rylee McCumber and Bella Welton as they progress.

Canton South is a program that has been knocking on the door in recent years, and with a senior laden top of the lineup 2025 will be the season where the Wildcats can make a play to make their presence known. Hailey Franks and Leah Kramer are the two senior stars for Canton South and they will be joined by junior Hannah Samblanet. If the Wildcats find a high quality fourth score, they will be a team to be reckoned with.

Trending

There are many teams whose stock is currently on the rise, many who have the chance to make a run at conference, Sectional, and District championships. Keystone is at the top of that list, led by Sophia Clarico, who is coming off an impressive freshman season. She will be joined by experienced teammates Alexis Askew, Caseabella Fye, and Kennedy Accavallo. Pymatuning Valley has had a group of players putting in hard work over the past couple years and they look for that work to pay off this year. Senior Kylie Luke and juniors McCamey Compan and Allison Clark form the terrific trio for the Lakers. Rootstown has a dynamic senior class that has grown together and is poised to have a really good year. The top four seniors look to be Anna Drago, Alex Biggin, Ava Miller, and Chloe Gardner. Lake Catholic is another senior dominated team. Emma Madsen, Ella Zampedro, and Angela Kerwood look to cap off their careers as they compete in the North Coast Conference and throughout the postseason. They will be joined by highly regarded sophomore Mao Edwards. Tuslaw came out of nowhere to have a really good season in 2024 and they will still be one of the youngest teams in the area as they compete in 2025. Junior Avery Rodocker has already established herself as a prime time player and with young developing sophomores Emilee Urbas, Mollie Berbari, Alexis McCabe, and Hadley Porter, the Mustangs could become a dominant team for years to come. Our Lady of the Elms is continuing to build after a strong performance last year. Senior Becca Padgett and junior Brooklyn Berkowitz are ready to compete all over the Akron area in the fall. Also in greater Akron, senior Maggie Putt of the Springfield Spartans has become one of the most improved players in Northeast Ohio. She will lead Springfield as they look to dethrone Cloverleaf in the Metro Conference. The Spartans will return several key members of their 2024 team. A final team to watch is the Champion Golden Flashes. Champion will look to an incoming freshman class to add to the depth they have already created as they look to continue a program with a very strong tradition.

Mending

After a decade long run of dominance, the Independence Blue Devils will have some work to do to reach the same heights they did under coach Karl Schuld. The best thing going for Independence is that they have a young core of players with a ton of potential. 2025 will act as a stepping stone year for this group, led by eight sophomores. Laurel has typically had a superstar player with an important supporting cast. Senior Elizabeth Weingart will once again look to step into that role this fall while the team will look to several upper and lowerclassmen to work their way into the lineup. Without Kennedy Lewis, one of the program’s top all time players, Southern Local will also be looking to returning players to take on new important roles on the team. The Indians have a deep roster and several candidates to take a big step, including three seniors: Lola Perfetto, Alyssa Deeley, and Caty Brewer.

A few schools will have some talent back but will need to fill end the back end of their rosters in order to make a splash in Division 2. Perry senior Jillian Peters will be joined by senior Lilay Yeager at the top of the lineup. Elyria Catholic will be led by senior Nicole Ferguson. Bristol will rely on junior Anistyn Williams. All three of these teams have depth in their program but will need to see improvement from their role players.