2023 Northwest Herald boys golf team preview capsules

Fox Valley Conference

Burlington Central

Coach: Thomas Davies (ninth season)

Last season: Fifth at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Matthew Kowalik, jr; Cam Sarallo, jr; Ben Chesney, jr; Luke Semyck, jr.

Key newcomers: Tommy Wyse, fr.; Devin Hughes, so.

Worth noting: The Rockets shot a 347 to take third at the Class 2A Burlington Central Regional last year and advance to sectionals as a team, edging out fourth-place Sycamore (355). … Kowalik (79) and Sarallo (87) were the team’s top two at regionals. Kowalik, the Rockets’ top returning scorer, placed ninth at the Fox Valley Conference Tournament with an 80. Davies expects Central to make a run for the FVC title and possibly get to state. Central took third last week at Crystal Lake South’s Boulder Ridge Summer Classic, which included all 10 FVC teams. … “We have numerous guys on this team who can go low, coupled with some of the best depth I’ve experienced on varsity,” Davies said. “We only have two state teams in school history, but this team will have a chance to be the third.”

Cary-Grove

Coach: Chris Gotsch (10th season)

Last season: FVC Tournament runners-up, overall season champions

Top returners: Kyle Kotlarczyk, sr.; Erik Pietrzyk, sr.; Joey Boldt, jr.; Brock Iverson, jr.

Key newcomers: Conner Lentz, so.; Matthew Nagaj, jr.; Henry Hills, jr.

Worth noting: The Trojans took second at the FVC Tournament but finished the season as the overall conference champions. It was C-G’s first conference title since 2009. The team’s biggest loss was Maddux Tarasievich, a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection. He tied for third at the FVC Tournament with a 77, took seventh at regionals with a 76 and posted a 78 at sectionals, missing the Class 3A state cut by four shots. ... The Trojans just missed qualifying for sectionals as a team, taking fourth at the Huntley Regional with a 320. Huntley took the third and final qualifying spot with a 318. Tarasievich (76), Pietrzyk (78) and Kotlarczyk (81) all qualified for sectionals. ... “Coming off of our first FVC championship since 2009, our squad has not shown signs of complacency,” Gotsch said. “We have a great group of guys coming back, led by seniors Kyle Kotlarczyk and Erik Pietrzyk. The back of our lineup has really improved and I feel like we are going to be more consistent in finding that fourth score that plagued us in the IHSA regional. I think we have a great opportunity to compete for another FVC Championship, but it is going to take a total team effort to do it.”

Crystal Lake Central

Coach: Matt LePage (fifth season)

Last season: Seventh at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Jack Bice, jr.; Charles Polash, jr.; Conor Naughton, jr.; Jake Kenefick, sr.; Carter Blum, jr.

Key newcomers: Asher Johnson, fr.; Jackson Byrd, so.; Tommy Laird, fr.; Max Sinha, fr.

Worth noting: The Tigers took sixth at the Class 2A Marengo Regional last year. Bice (84) and Polash (86) both qualified for sectionals to lead the way. Naughton was three shot away from advancing. … Bice, an All-Area honorable mention selection, was denied a trip to the Class 2A state meet in an eight-golfer playoff with four spots up for grabs. … “I’m looking forward to seeing how much better we can get throughout the season with a mix of strong returners and talented young players,” LePage said.

Crystal Lake South

Coach: Curt Wadlington (18th season)

Last season: 10th at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Tim Popovits, sr.; Jackson Bowers, sr.

Key newcomers: Jack Wilcox, fr.; AJ Mitchell, fr.

Worth noting: The Gators graduated their top golfer, Nate Stewart, an All-Area first-team pick who won a regional title (72) and was second at the FVC Tournament (76). Stewart also was runner-up in the conference’s end-of-season points standings. ... South was eighth at the Class 2A Marengo Regional. ... “Our goal is to get incrementally better each week with good senior leadership and a new freshman core,” Wadlington said. “We are eager to see what leadership skills flourish as the year progresses.”

Dundee-Crown

Coach: Bob Sweeney (20th season)

Last season: Sixth at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Jared Russell, jr.; Camden Schmeiser, sr.; Jack Sundstedt, sr.

Key newcomers: Grant Meyer, jr.; Kai Klancnik, jr.

Worth noting: Dundee-Crown improved by four spots at the FVC Tournament last year, going from 10th to sixth. … The Chargers graduated their top golfer, Jake Russell, who also was the team’s only sectional qualifier. Jared Russel, Sundstedt and Schmeiser will form the top of D-C’s lineup. Jared Russell was four shots short of qualifying for sectionals. … Sundstedt fired a team-low 86 last week at the Boulder Ridge Summer Classic. … Sweeney is excited about a strong group of underclassmen joining the team. “This season, we have a lot of new golfers,” Sweeney said. “We will rely on our top three returning golfers who gained valuable experience in matches and tournaments. I’m excited to watch our younger players’ progress as they compete and challenge themselves to get better.”

Hampshire

Coach: Jeremy Bauer (first season)

Last season: Fourth at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Eric Brown, sr.; Tegan Van Wiel, sr.; Seth Gillie, jr.; Nolan Adamczyk, so.

Worth noting: Hampshire finished fourth at the Class 3A Huntley Regional, shooting 320 and missing out on the third and last sectional qualifying spot by two shots. The last spot went to C-G (318). Still, the Whip-Purs had four sectional qualifiers, with Brown (78), Gillie (80), Adamczyk (80) and Van Wiel (82) all moving on. … Brown was an All-Area second-team selection and tied for fifth at the FVC Tournament. … Hampshire won the Boulder Ridge Summer Classic last week with a 317. Gillie earned medalist honors with a 74, and Brown shot a 76 in his opening round of the season. ... Bauer said the Whips are looking to contend for a conference crown.

Huntley

Coach: Collin Kalamatas (eighth season)

Last season: FVC tournament champions

Top returners: Nathan Elm, sr.; Nooa Hakala, sr.; Sam Locascio, sr.; Taig Bhathal, jr.

Key newcomers: Kyle Helwink, jr.

Worth noting: Elm was an All-Area second-team pick and helped lead the Red Raiders to the FVC Tournament title over Cary-Grove on a fifth-score tiebreaker. Elm was fifth at conference and missed qualifying for state by a shot, posting a 75 at the Class 3A Dundee-Crown Sectional. … Huntley was third at the Huntley Regional with a 318, edging Hampshire (320) and C-G (326) for the third and last qualifying spot for sectionals. … Graduate Brendan Busky, Hakala and Bhathal tied for 10th at the FVC Tournament with 81s. … “We are returning lots of golfers with a lot of varsity experience,” Kalamatas said. “Our goal every year is to have our team qualify for a sectional.”

Jacobs

Coach: Gary Conrad (10th season)

Last season: Eighth at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Owen Ziaja, sr.; Barrett Rennell, jr.; Braden Behrens, jr.; Zach Allen, sr.; Luke Johnson, jr.; Connor Schlueter, jr.

Key newcomer: Chase Garden, fr.

Worth noting: The Golden Eagles tied for sixth at the Class 3A Huntley Regional, nine shots behind Cary-Grove, the FVC overall season champions. … Rennell was the team’s lone sectional qualifier, firing an 81 at regionals. Behrens was only two shots away from advancing. … Rennell (83) and Garden (84) recorded the two lowest scores for Jacobs at last week’s Boulder Ridge Summer Classic. … “We’re looking to keep improving from last year,” Conrad said. “With many players in the varsity lineup returning, we should be in better form. We’re looking to get some confidence rolling in the right direction in time for regionals.”

McHenry

Coach: Ryan Ellison (17th season)

Last season: Ninth at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Gavin Cueto, sr.; Bradin Amelio, sr.; Tanner Polep, sr.; Ryan Townsend, sr.; Cole Patenaude, sr.; Alex LaShelle, so.

Key newcomer: Dane Currie, fr.

Worth noting: McHenry lost three of its top golfers last year, and the Warriors saw a dip in performance, going from fourth place to ninth in the FVC. … McHenry was split up from other FVC teams in postseason play and took fifth at the Class 3A Auburn Regional. Polep, LaShelle and Cueto advanced to sectionals. Townsend was four shots away from moving on. … Ellison believes this year’s team is deeper than in past seasons. Five Warriors shot in the 80s at the Boulder Ridge Summer Classic. … “We’re a much more mature team this season,” Ellison said. “I’m looking forward to see how low we can go with the amount of depth we have.”

Prairie Ridge

Coach: John Powell (11th season)

Last season: Third at FVC Tournament

Top returners: Charlie Pettrone, sr.; Vincent Ricciardi, sr.; Thomas Trax, sr.; Austin Klauser, jr.; JJ Lee, jr. Jimmy Berg, jr.

Key newcomer: Jack Dahlem, so.

Worth noting: The Wolves bring back a strong lineup capable of winning the FVC, led by 2022 Northwest Herald Boys Golfer of the Year Charlie Pettrone. As a junior, Pettrone tied for second at regionals with a 73 and tied for third at sectionals with a 74. He won the conference tournament with a 74 and was the conference’s end-of-season points champion. He qualified for the Class 2A state meet and tied for 17th with a 75-78-153. ... The Wolves took second at the Marengo Regional with a 323, two shots behind Boylan for first. Pettrone, Trax, Lee and Ricciardi were the top four scorers. Prairie Ridge was fifth at sectionals with a 335, nine shots back of the third and final qualifying spot for state. ... “We have an influx of freshman into our program and I’m excited to have the upperclassmen lead by example both on and off the course,” Powell said.

Kishwaukee River Conference

Harvard

Coach: Jamie Finfrock (first season)

Last season: KRC Tournament runner-up

Top returners: Logan Garafol, sr.; Aaron Saucedo, sr.; Justin Lehmann, sr.; Jacob Finfrock, jr.; Erik Hay, jr.; Eltan Powles, so.; John Witt, so.; Coen Dacy, sr.

Key newcomers: Cole Coffer, fr.; Wyatt Stott, fr.; Nathan Allman, fr.; Zach Dacy, fr.; Tate Nicolai, fr.

Worth noting: Jamie Finfrock takes over for Rich Petska, who coached the Hornets for 14 seasons. Petska is now the girls golf and boys basketball coach at Richmond-Burton. … Harvard had one of it best showings at the KRC Tournament, taking runner-up as a team. The Hornets had three top-10 finishers: Garafol (79, fourth place), Saucedo (84, seventh) and Myles Brincks (86, ninth). Brincks is the only one to graduate out of that group. … Garafol and Saucedo both were named to the All-KRC team. Garafol, who qualified for sectionals, was the KRC Player of the Year in 2021 and missed repeating by a point. … Harvard took fifth at the Class 2A Marengo Regional, ahead of Crystal Lake Central and Crystal Lake South. … “Garafol advanced to sectionals last year and has worked hard over the summer with the goal of advancing to the state tournament this year,” Jamie Finfrock said. “Senior co-captain Aaron Saucedo played in some tournaments this summer and will be looking to establish himself as one of the top golfers in the KRC.”

Johnsburg

Coach: Don Bentz (seventh season)

Last season: Fourth at KRC Tournament

Top returners: Nick Grons, sr.; Riley Johnson, jr.; Mason Salamoun, jr.

Key newcomers: Noah Hagen, sr.; Sawyer Perry, jr.; Nathan Frost, fr.

Worth noting: Link, Johnson and Grons were all named to the All-KRC team last year, with Link and Grons as repeat selections. Link took sixth at the KRC Tournament with an 86. Grons was three shots short of qualifying for sectionals. … The Skyhawks took fourth at conference for the second straight season, finishing eight shots behind Richmond-Burton. … With many of the team’s top returners back, Bentz is looking for his team to show improvement early on. … “We have a good nucleus of returning golfers and strong underclassman,” Bentz said. “Our goal is to contend for the conference championship and improve in all of our invites.”

Marengo

Coach: Rafael Martinez (seventh season)

Last season: Fifth at KRC Tournament

Top returners: Sean Ettner, jr.; Leo Bankel, sr.

Key newcomers: Benjamin Holst, fr.; Michael Gieseke, fr.

Worth noting: The Indians took fifth at the KRC Tournament for the second year in a row. … Ettner was the Indians’ lone All-KRC selection. Its other top golfer, Riley Weiss, posted the team’s best finish at regionals, but has since graduated. … Martinez hopes the Indians can compete for a conference championship, led by Ettner and Bankel. … “With a strong core of returning players and promising newcomers, Marengo could be a KRC contender,” Martinez said. “We’re hoping for [Ettner] and [Bankel] to go deep into postseason competition.”

Richmond-Burton

Coach: Brad Tichenor (17th season)

Last season: Third at KRC Tournament

Top returners: Jeff Lehn, sr.; Colten Miller, sr., Jacob Olson, sr.; Danny DeZanek, jr.

Key newcomers: Aiden Wicinski, sr.; Ryan Scholberg, so.; Cooper O’Day, sr.

Worth noting: Lehn, who also plays on the football team, returns as the the team’s top golfer. Lehn was the Rockets’ lone sectional qualifier last year with an 88 at the Class 2A Vernon Hills Regional. He was named co-KRC Player of the Year and was All-Area honorable mention. … At the KRC Tournament, Lehn was eighth and Miller was 10th. … Lehn, Miller and Olson all earned All-KRC honors. … R-B placed third at conference behind Woodstock North co-op and Harvard. It was the first time in three years that the Rockets didn’t place among the top two teams. … “We have a lot of experience,” Tichenor said. “I’m looking for all of them to lead us to a highly competitive season.”

Woodstock North co-op

(with Woodstock)

Coach: Brent Filetti (eighth season)

Last season: KRC Tournament champions

Top returners: Alex Treadway, sr.; Brady Yergens, jr.

Worth noting: Woodstock North co-op again was the class of the KRC, grabbing the top four spots and winning the team championship at the conference tournament last season by 33 shots. The Thunder, however, graduated three of its top four scorers. The other top scorer did not go out for the team this season. It was the fourth straight year the co-op team won the KRC title. … The Thunder opened the season by taking fifth out of 15 teams at the Sandwich Invite. Yergens finished sixth and Treadway was ninth. … “The Woodstock North co-op team is looking to continue great play this season,” Filetti said. “We hope with hard work and good practice habits, we can continue our success as a program.”

Chicagoland Christian Conference

Marian Central

Coach: Tom Kruse (third season)

Top returners: Peter Louise, jr.; Finn Pivnicka, jr.; Ben Lipinski, sr.

Key newcomers: Cayden Leonard, jr.; Mason Graf, jr.; Colin Kowalsky, so.; Jacob Timpe, so.; Matthew Domek, sr.

Worth noting: Louise qualified for the Class 2A state tournament last season, shooting a 90 in the first round but missing the second-round cut. He placed 14th at regionals and tied for 12th at sectionals. Louise and Pivnicka, a sectional qualifier in his first two seasons (once as an individual), will form the top of a strong Hurricanes’ lineup. … Marian shot a 337 at regionals to take third and qualify for sectionals as a team, 14 shots behind runner-up Prairie Ridge. … “Our top two [Louise and Pivnicka] have the potential to make a run at state this year,” Kruse said. “There’s a lot of potential in this team. I just hope we can make the most of it and golf as long as we can this fall. We’ve got a great bunch of kids on both levels this year. We’re looking forward to a fun season.”