When the snow clears off of the ground in March, albeit it took the snow until about April 20th to finally disappear from sight in North Jersey last season, it is officially time for spring sports to take off. Lacrosse and baseball are certainly the more prominent spring sports at Ridgewood High School as it pertains to spectators at games, with track and field being the most popular sport in terms of number of athletes participating. With all of the other distractions, the RHS Boys Golf Team appears to fly under the radar.
Last season was certainly a success for RBG. Winning the North 1 Group 4 sectional tournament at Fox Hollow Country Club last year and going to the New Jersey State Tournament of Champions for the first time in eleven years was a big step for the program. However, three staples from the team last year have all graduated, forcing the team to lean on a newer group of players such as seniors Calvin Wang, Evan Pillow, Davis Weil, Finn Treppedi, and sophomore Jordan Rarich. Other underclassmen will look to step up and gain valuable experience playing in matches.
This season looks bright for the team, and one would argue that it has to do in part with a certain level of confidence in some of the players, especially the seniors. Not just that, but also the upbeat and joking demeanor of each of the players. When asked about the team’s prospects this year, senior Evan Pillow said, “we just won’t not win.” Other seniors Finn Treppedi and Calvin Wang added, “we are basically the 1992 Olympic basketball team: Power,” and, “we are never not not not the best players on the course,” from Treppedi and Wang respectively.
Jokes aside, the team is serious about performing this season, and it is showing up in off-season preparation. The team is holding weekly practice sessions at an indoor facility on Route 17 that has golf simulators. In March, the team will embark on their annual golfing trip to Ocean City, Maryland with the Ridgewood Girls Golf team to further their preparations for what will surely be a season filled with excitement.
Davis Weil
staff writer
Graphics: Anika Tsapatsaris