MHS heating up

By: Sean Richards
   Following a shaky start, the Monroe High School golf team has shown just the kind of progression you would expect from a seasoned and talented squad.
   In its season opener, Monroe struggled and lost a disappointing match to Woodbridge when it shot a 193.
   Monroe quickly rebounded, however, to beat Old Bridge by one stroke with a 188. The next outing was even better as the Falcons shot a sizzling 177 on its home course at the Forsgate Country Club to down North Brunswick.
   The victory over Old Bridge was impressive because the Knights have long been considered one of the better teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference and were second at last year’s conference championships.
   The win over North Brunswick was encouraging because of the 177.
   "We didn’t play well the first day, but I think a lot of that was because the conditions were so bad," said Monroe coach Pete LoPresti. "A lot of people think Old Bridge is pretty good, so that was a good showing.
   "The 177 is pretty good for this time of the year. We’ve been improving, which is what you are looking for."
   Monroe has a lot of depth this season and has used nine different golfers to date in an effort to identify its strongest lineup.
   One guy Monroe knows it can count on is senior Grant Herring, who much like the team has consistently gone lower with scores of 48-46-40.
   Freshman Sean Lawrence has made an immediate impact with rounds of 47-44-45,while senior Ken Zimmer has posted scores of 48 and 43 in his last two outings.
   "Grant has been our No. 1 and Sean is a good, young player," said LoPresti. "Those two have been pretty solid for us and give us a good nucleus to build around."
   With five seniors and reliable underclassmen all vying for spots, it might take some time for Monroe’s lineup to fall together.
   "We’re trying to figure out the people who will come in with the low numbers," said LoPresti. "We have good depth, which is a plus for us.
   "Having this kind of flexibility will make us a better team."
   Monroe was to have played Sayreville on Tuesday and will be off for a week over the holiday break before a road match at Colonia Tuesday.
   "Overall, I’m pleased," said LoPresti. "The opening day was not good, but we were able to bounce back and we’ve gotten better each day,
   "Hopefully, we’re on the right track."