Parker expects solid season from Raider golfers

Team splits first two matches

By: John Beisser
   
   It was a good news/bad news scenario for the Hillsborough High golf team last Friday as the Raiders opened the 2005 season by playing well but not well enough to earn a victory.
   Hillsborough opened its season with the unenviable task of facing a talented Ridge team on its home course, the difficult Jersey National Golf Club. The good news was that the Raiders played very solid golf, shooting a 209, which is an average of less than 42 strokes per golfer in the nine-hole match. The problem was that Ridge shot a sizzling 196 to earn the 15-stroke victory.
   "Their top player shot a two-under par 34 with five birdies and three bogeys," said Raiders’ fifth-year coach Paul Parker. "We shot a very respectable score and I was not unhappy with how we played. I told the guys on the way back that a 210 or 215 would win a lot of matches 10, 15 years ago. But today, so many golfers work on their games all year-round. To beat the better teams, we’re going to have to break 200."
   Hillsborough is coming off a fine 14-4 season in 2004 and graduated just two players from that team. While the Raiders are still a relatively young team, with one senior, four juniors and seven sophomores, there is a plethora of experience throughout the lineup.
   Juniors Steve Cannon and Aaron Schiffman figure to be at the top of the lineup all season. The lone senior on the roster is Matt Simonik. Sophomores Logan Cecchine and Andrew Borsuk are a pair of talented ball strikers. Sophomore Nick Grappone has shown plenty of promise and perhaps another name to keep in mind is sophomore Greg Durrant, who is making his varsity debut this season after playing on the jayvee team last season. The 12-man roster also includes sophomores Dave Boyea, Ed Zielanka, Alex Wander and Brian Vandongen.
   Like all teams in the area, the Raiders have been dodging rain drops and practicing on soaking wet courses in unseasonably cold temperatures. It will take a few more matches before Parker begins to get a true read on how good the Raiders can be in 2005. But he is encouraged by the talent, work ethic and focus of his team.
   "I know the guys have worked very hard on their games," Parker said. "We haven’t really had a chance to play much on our home course (Hillsborough Country Club) because of the wet conditions. We’ve played a few rounds at Spooky Brook but that’s a course that does not test your short game as much as our place. It’s too early to get an assessment of the team but I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good."
   The Raiders evened their season record with a 210-241 victory over Delaware Valley Monday afternoon at Hillsborough Country Club. Cannon led the way with a 3-over-par round of 39. Schiffman (41), Borsuk (42), Cecchine (43) and Simonik (45) also counted scores for the winners.
   Hillsborough (1-1) was scheduled to host Phillipsburg on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Raiders face North Hunterdon at the difficult Beaver Brook Course in Clinton. On April 10, the team will compete in the Montgomery Invitational at the quality Cherry Valley Country Club in Skillman.