By: Redd E. Patrick
For the Monroe High School golf team, it was "one of those days."
In a season filled with almost all good days, "one of those days" was bound to happen.
That day was Wednesday, when the Falcons had their hearts broken with a 250-251 loss to Colonia (11-3). The 9-2 Falcons had a five-match winning streak snapped and lost for the first time at home on the menacing Forsgate Country Club spread.
Coach Pete LoPresti saw it coming.
"I could sense it on the practice tee," LoPresti said. "We just didn’t come ready. We were in trouble on the first tee and we didn’t get off one good shot. We had some high scores where we normally don’t get them. But it was just one of those days.
"At Forsgate we should have a five-stroke advantage just on course management."
In just their second match in 10 days because of the recent rain, Anthony Barbato and Danny Kunigonis each shot 48, Steve Loufek shot 50, while Doug Rohrig shot 52 and Justin Rohrig 53.
"At least it wasn’t a division match," LoPresti said. "It still sets up with a match against Spotswood (Tuesday at Tamarack), which could decide the Blue Division title since we both have one loss."
Needing at least a .600 record by today (Friday), the Falcons have qualified for the NJSIAA Group II state tournament. That will take place on May 14, at the Centerton Golf Course in South Jersey.
At the state tournament, five players compete, with the lowest four scores counting. The Falcons will start Justin Rohrig (42.6 average), Barbato (46.5), Doug Rohrig (48.6), Kunigonis (49.6) and Loufek (53.0).
"We’re still very optimistic about everything," LoPresti said. "We qualified for the states for the first time in a while, and hopefully we can get a good seed for the county tournament and not have to play a preliminary match."
Hopefully, it won’t be one of those days.
