Parker has loaded lineup
By: John Beisser
The 2006 Hillsborough High golf team is loaded with talent and experience. Combine some sharp practice rounds with a terrific overall team attitude, and all of the ingredients are in place for a tremendous season.
Under the direction of seventh-year head coach Paul Parker, the Raiders have been consistently one of the top teams in the area. Last season’s club fashioned a fine 13-5 record and earned a spot in the NJSIAA playoffs. This year’s edition has a real chance to be special. Hillsborough returns six of its top seven golfers from a year ago and has a competitive eight-man rotation.
The format for dual matches in the rugged Skyland Conference calls for six starters, with the five lowest nine hole scores added together to form a team score. How competitive will the Raider roster be? Consider that in a combination of pre-season scrimmages and practice rounds, the top eight Hillsborough players averaged between 38.0 and 41.8 strokes per round.
It would be hard-pressed for any team on the Raider schedule to match Hillsborough’s combination of high quality golfers, extreme depth and lack of disparity between the best and worst averages. In most lineups, a 41.8 average would challenge for the No. 1 spot. In Hillsborough’s case, 41.8 checks in at No. 8.
Junior Andrew Borsuk has the inside track on the No. 1 spot and is coming off a terrific off-season that was highlighted by his round of 72 on July 20 that won New Jersey Junior Golf Competition in the Boys 16-18 Group at Knob Hill Country Club in Manalapan. Borsuk has a legitimate chance to contend for the medalist honors in the Somerset County Championships, the Skyland Conference Championships and he also has the skill and ability to become a factor among the best players in the state.
The talent-laden junior class is also represented by Nick Grappone and Logan Cecchine, whose pre-season averages are right on the heels of Borsuk’s. Senior Steve Cannon is the most experienced golfer on the team and his steady demeanor and battle-tested nerves will serve as major assets for the 2006 Raiders. Freshman Zach Schiffman, younger brother of senior Andrew Schiffman, has opened eyes with his stellar play in the early going. Andrew Schiffman will be in the mix as will juniors Craig Durrant and Ed Ziolonka.
"We’re very good," said Parker matter-of-factly and without a hint of condescension. "The kids are good but they don’t have a lot of cockiness about them. I’ve spoken to them about just focusing on improving and not on people’s expectations. It’s a positive that people think we’re good because there is a little bit of an intimidation factor that can help us when we tee it up. At the same time, I talked to them about that fact that we have a target on our back, that team’s will be gunning for us.
"I talked to them about the NCAA basketball tournament," Parker continued, "how Duke and Connecticut were No. 1 all season. But now they are home watching the Final Four on TV."
The Raiders jump right into the fire with a busy opening the week that, by week’s end, should provide an early barometer about just how good this Raider team is, and how good it can be. Weather permitting, the Raiders were slated to open their season at Delaware Valley on Monday, followed by a match at Phillipsburg Tuesday. The home opener is scheduled to take place Thursday vs. North Hunterdon.
On Friday, Parker and his top five players will venture all the way down to Blue Heron Pines East Golf Club in Cologne, N.J., just outside of Atlantic City. There, the Raiders will test their mettle in the second annual Garden State Cup, a one-day, 18-hole event that includes 20 of the top teams in the state. South Jersey power Haddonfield is the defending champion in the event.
"This is an exciting tournament that we were invited to play in because we are expected to be one of the top teams in the state," Parker said. "There is a team and individual competition and it will give us an idea of where we are and where we stack up."
Parker is unsure as to exactly what five he will take to this event. In fact, this might be a familiar refrain all season for Parker, a situation which can be both a blessing and a curse. For years, Parker, like most golf coaches, has simply let the scores dictate the pecking order of his lineup. With this year’s quality and depth, Parker says he will use the scores as an indicator but may delve deeper, choosing his lineup based on his player’s strengths and how they match up with the course the team is playing that day.
"It’s a luxury to have so many good players, no question about it, but it can make things tough, too," he said. "It might be a case where if we are playing a long course, for example, I’ll go with a lineup that feature more big hitters. If it’s a short, tight course, I might go with some guys whose games are more suited to that type of golf. You want to play your best guys but you also want to have as many guys earn varsity letters as possible."
All in all, not a bad to problem to have.

