By Bob Nuse, The Packet Group
The Allentown High golf team has lofty goals for this season.
The Redbirds have their eye on a trip to the state tournament, and with a large group of golfers returning from last year’s team that goal seems within reach.
Already this season Allentown has posted wins over Hightstown, Steinert and Ewing during a 3-0 start.
”The early season was really tough due to the struggles with weather,” said Allentown co-coach Joe Monticello. “It has been cold and rainy but the kids have hung in. We started with 31 kids and we settled with 18. We have varsity and a JV. We try to keep more players than a lot of schools. Cream Ridge can accommodate us and our philosophy is the more kids we can keep the better.”
Through three matches the Redbirds are averaging 217 as a team. Sophomore Mike Reed is averaging 42, while junior Garrett Kern has a 43 average and junior captain John Masserini had a 43.3 average. Juniors Andrew Stefanowicz, Ryan Shaw and Mike Milonas are next in line for Allentown.
”Mike Reed, in terms of average, is No. 1 at this point,” Monticello said. “Our captain is John Masserini. He is a junior and this is his second year as captain. He’s a great kid. Coach (Doug) Hunt has been there 38 years and just retired from teaching. He and I are coaching together. We share the same opinion of John. He is one of the finest captains we have had in any of our sports. He is very mature for grade his grade level. He leads by example and is an outstanding golfer.”
With everyone back from last year, the Redbirds are hoping to make a return to the state tournament after missing out on the event last year. They need a .600 winning percentage by May 6, so the 3-0 start helps.
”We are doing pretty well, a lot better than last year,’ Masserini said. “We have the exact same team. We did not graduate anyone. We had one junior who is now a senior and the rest of us are juniors and sophomores.
”Last year was almost like a rebuilding year. We had a lot of freshmen getting their first matches and they were not used to the matches. But they were getting the feel for what it is like. This year we’re playing better. Mike Reed, Ryan Shaw, Andy and Garrett have been playing amazing. Mike Milonas has also stepped it up.”
Masserini will do his part. He knows that the Redbirds are a team that counts on contributions from the whole team to be successful.
”I have been working to try and get better,” he said. “As long as the team doing well, I am ecstatic. I take the role of captain seriously. I have not heard of too many kids as sophomores that have been in that position. I have tried to do the best I can.
”We would love to get back there to states. We got there my freshman year and came up just short of making the Tournament of Champions. I’m hoping to get back to states this year and hope this year we can get back to the T of C.”
In addition to the current top six in average, the rest of the Redbirds’ varsity roster includes senior Pat DiGangi, junior Pete Turowski, sophomore Jake Failla and freshman Aidan Pignataro.
”This is as fine a group of young people as we have had,” Monticello said. “They have a love and respect for the game of golf. They have developed a team camaraderie. If we can get through this week I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
The Redbirds were scheduled to face Hamilton West on Tuesday and Lawrence on Wednesday before playing in the Monmouth County Tournament at Hominy Hills on Thursday. They will also host Nottingham on Friday at Cream Ridge.
”It was tough at the beginning of the season because we had a lot of snow and rain,” Masserini said. “But we have pretty much had five practices a week. We’ve done our best with the conditions.”
Allentown has done well enough to start the year 3-0, with hopes of having a big year down the road.

