Sharing is nice, but when it comes to league championships, teams would rather have it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time ever, the Riverhead boys golf team has a league title it can call its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Riverhead picked up its third league crown in four years. The only difference this time is the Blue Waves didn\u2019t have to share it with Mattituck, as they did the previous two times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having finished in sole possession of first place for the first time with a spotless 10-0 record in Suffolk County League VII, one could make the argument that this is the greatest Riverhead boys golf team ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impressive,\u201d freshman Colby Baran said. \u201cIn the last year we improved significantly to the point where we just almost blew out every team we played.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t completely unexpected,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe knew we had a good team. Last year we were 9 and 1, so we knew we definitely had a shot, but knowing that we did as good as we did, it\u2019s a good feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Signs were seen early, during tryouts in August, that this could be a special team. Coach Steve Failla said it was the most competitive tryouts he had seen since taking over the team in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe cut good golfers this year, so the word is out, and the guys, they know when they show up Day One in August that they\u2019re going to be fighting for a spot. It\u2019s a great lesson for life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey know that when they show up in August that they have to bring their \u2018A\u2019 game, so they\u2019re working at it all summer long and the spring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From those tryouts, 11 players made the team \u2014 and then proceeded to make their mark. With the exception of an 8-1 win over Hampton Bays, Riverhead has won every one of its matches by 9-0 scores, including its final league match at Shelter Island last Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Griffin Sumwalt, a junior, said Riverhead \u201cstarted off the season well, and then as we went further on, we were like, \u2018We could do this. Like, we could win every single match.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Riverhead\u2019s triumph over Mattituck Sept. 29 marked the Tuckers\u2019 first loss on their North Fork Country Club course in Cutchogue in eight years, according to Failla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did Riverhead win on Mattituck\u2019s home course?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf I tell you, you\u2019ll tell everybody,\u201d Failla said. \u201cIt\u2019s just goal-setting. The boys set goals and they work hard. You know, the program has come a long way. Our program has come a long way in the last six years, you know, and they\u2019re committed to their craft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baran, who finished the league season with a 36.4 nine-hole average, has played in the team\u2019s No. 1 slot the entire season, with the exception of one match when Sumwalt (37.4) played there. Sumwalt was the team\u2019s No. 2 player for the rest of the matches. Riverhead\u2019s sole senior, Jace Pesce (38.1), was in the No. 3 position more than anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The competition continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, one day before the Conference IV Tournament is to be held at Riverhead\u2019s Cherry Creek Golf Links course, the Blue Waves still hadn\u2019t settled which six golfers they would send to the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was tough to cut back in August, and it\u2019s tough to tell some guys that they\u2019re not going to be in the top six and today I\u2019m gonna have to tell some good golfers that they\u2019re not going to be playing tomorrow because we only bring six,\u201d Failla said during practice. \u201cThey are in complete control of the outcome. Their scores today will determine who\u2019s playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m a closet teddy bear, you know. I\u2019m so proud of these boys overall. I wish I could bring more than six.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was determined at Tuesday\u2019s practice that those six golfers will be Baran, Sumwalt and Pesce, joined by juniors Zach Timpone (38.8), Jaxson Hubbard (39.3) and Luke Richard (39.2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five juniors \u2014 Mark Gajowski, Kyle Kaelin, Colin Lynch, Ryan Densieski and Preston Swenk \u2014 comprise the rest of the roster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sumwalt said the current team is better than last year\u2019s squad. \u201cWe have way more depth this year and every single kid is very good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year Riverhead wasn\u2019t in a sharing mood when it came to the league title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWay better,\u201d Baran said. \u201cWe\u2019re not co-league champions. We\u2019re league champions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sharing is nice, but when it comes to league championships, teams would rather have it all. For the first time ever, the Riverhead boys golf team has a league title it can call its own. Riverhead picked up its third league crown in four years. The only difference this time is the Blue Waves didn\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":113180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1743,37],"tags":[662,15485,15189,13186,240,852],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-113179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-story","category-sports","tag-boys-golf","tag-colby-baran","tag-griffin-sumwalt","tag-premium","tag-riverhead","tag-steve-failla"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n