Colonial golf on upswing with Morgan
Freehold Borough girls looking toward SC tournament
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Teams may soon be forced to reappraise the Freehold Borough golf program.

The Colonials haven't been taken seriously on the golf links before, but all that is changing. Thanks to a talented freshman and some serious upperclassmen, Freehold Borough is no longer an easy walk around the links.

Mike Ciccotelli's Colonials are 3-3 in dual meets this year. Their low score of the season, 168 at the home course, Charleston Springs in Millstone Township, is 12 strokes better than their best in '06 of 180.

Freshman Ricky Morgan has had a lot to do with Freehold Borough's success, not only because of his low scores, but the example he has set for his teammates.

"He has great potential," noted Ciccotelli. "He has the whole game - the short game, putting, irons and the intangibles.

"Anytime you have someone who brings that to the table, it has an impact on the team," he added. "They follow his work ethic. He's never happy. He's always working to get better."

At the Monmouth County Championships on April 19 at the Hominy Hill Golf Course in Colts Neck, Morgan became the first Colonial in memory to qualify for the Shore Conference Tournament (May 7 at Sean Oaks in Ocean County). On a cold, rainy day that made a difficult course tougher, Morgan carded a 41-43-84, tying for 26th place. All golfers who shot 86 or under moved on to the SCT.

Freehold Borough enjoyed its best finish in years - 15th (357). It was fellow Freehold Regional District school Marlboro that captured the title (318) by one stroke over Colts Neck (319) in what turned out to be a big day for District golf (Marlboro's Mike Desero was the individual champion, shooting an even par 72).

Behind Morgan, the Colonials have a group of experienced golfers who put the time in during the offseason to improve.

"At the end of last year, I told them that if they want to get better they have to work at it; they needed to go to a teaching pro and practice if they want to see improvement," said Ciccotelli. "They went out and did those things. They enjoy the game."

Dustin Lee, a junior, has been the team's No. 2 player behind Morgan. He's been in the program for three years. Seniors Ben Goldman and Zachary Braff have been three and four in the lineup and they, too, bring experience.

Another good sign for Freehold Borough is its depth. Ciccotelli has been able to use a number of players in the fifth position, including B.K. Trahan, Michael Dintsios, Sean Sullivan, Russell Schneider and Brian Wilson.

The Colonials appear to be well on their way to improving on last year's 5-15 record.

"We're taking it one match at a time," said Ciccotelli. "They're learning how to score. We're better than we've been."

Freehold Borough's golf fortunes are looking up on the distaff side as well. The girls program is in its second year, and its improvement has been quite evident.

The girls are 1-2, but own a victory over a good Colts Neck team. Coach Bob Young has given his team a schedule that will test his golfers. One of the two losses was away from the Shore at East Brunswick. They are 1-1 in the A North Division.

"We have a very balanced team," said Young. "The girls are very consistent through the lineup. We keep it basic; it comes down to chipping and putting."

The girls have also done a good job of keeping the ball in the fairway off the tee.

Sam Small leads what is a senior-dominated lineup. Lauren Thomaier is No. 2 behind Small, with Emily Raines and Laura Porth in the third and fourth slots. Jackie Rios and Michelle Meisner have split time at No. 5.

A pair of underclassmen represent the team's future. Juniors Kaci Salcedo and Shay Woods have gotten playing time had have bright futures according to Young.

In fact, the program has a bright future. With no junior varsity or freshman teams, Young actually had to make cuts. There is a lot of interest in the school.

The one advantage of having a senior-dominated lineup is the maturity of the players. They're not giving strokes away like a young team might. The girls have mastered putting a bad shot behind them and moving forward.

"They've shown me they can play," said Young.

With a 3-10 record last year, the Colonials seem certain to top that. The goal is to get to .500 and have a chance to qualify for the state tournament.

Of more immediate concern is the Girls Shore Conference Tournament at Bamm Hollow in Middletown on May 9. The girls will have the chance to compete against their peers here for individual and team honors.