Golf
By: Steve Feitl
After suffering three straight losses, the Hopewell Valley Central High School golf team appears to have righted the ship.
The Bulldogs, who didn’t lose a single match last season, fought back from the three-match losing streak to post their best score of the season on April 18 against West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
The Bulldogs defeated the Pirates, 200-223, with three HoVal players scoring in the 30s. Matt Castagna shot a match-low 37, while Jason Pall and Brandon Rust both contributed 39s.
"It was a good comeback for us," Hopewell golf coach Skip Johnson said of the victory.
But Hopewell came back on April 22 with a sub-par performance against Allentown. The Bulldogs won the match handily, but shot a 211 in the process.
Things got back closer to normal two days later, however, when facing Nottingham. The Bulldogs won the match, 205-221, but the big story was the play of Brandon Rust.
The HoVal golfer shot a match-low two-under 34 at Hopewell Valley Golf Club, which tied the HVCHS record for low score.
The Bulldogs had a more well-rounded effort on Friday against Ewing.
The Hopewell golfers combined for a solid 203, including 38s by Pall and Andrew Varhley. Castagna shot a 41, while Matt Betz contributed a 42.
Finally, on Tuesday, the Bulldogs won a five-hole rain-shortened match against Trenton.
Johnson believes things have now settled down for the Bulldog squad.
"I think the pressure has been off," he said. "I think the South match was the key. If he had lost that match, we would have been in trouble. Instead, it really picked us up."