Golf Preview: Chemistry Key for Group of Juniors

There will be plenty of competition for the members of the West Deptford High School golf team this spring, and much of it will come from Eagles themselves.

Head coach John Cobb said that as many as nine golfers remain in the mix to fill out the six-man varsity scoring sheet, and believes the competition will drive the golfers to play their best each time out on the course.

“I think our biggest strength is the tremendous team chemistry we have,” Cobb said. “All of these kids are good friends, especially the juniors, and most of them are from same neighborhood. I think there will be this constant battle to be in the lineup. Four-through-nine will be a battle, and guys could go in and out of the lineup.”

The top three golfers are projected to be junior Kevin Brockway, senior Jordan Haines and junior Zach Vorndran.

Beyond that trio is where the competition lies.

“With the remaining six, it will be a pretty good cauldron, where every day you are competing to be in the lineup,” Cobb said. “We keep score every day to make it a competitive situation.”

West Deptford is coming off a season in which it tied the school record for wins, with 20. However, the team lost two seniors, including No. 1 scorer Matt Jakubowski. Haines is the only senior expected to be a varsity scorer this season, so a group of six juniors and two sophomores will be counted on to deliver low numbers.

One strategy Cobb and his staff plan to implement between now and the April 5 opener is to help each golfer realize the smartest way to attack each hole. Cobb plans to walk nine holes with each pairing and before every shot, ask the player what he club he'll pick for the shot and then tell them what club he wants them to go with.

Cobb is hoping his insight into the game can help the athletes lower their scores and gain a better understanding of how to handle certain situations.

It’s a hands-on approach in a sport where coaches are essentially left as spectators once the real matches get underway.

“I think you should be out there to make the kids better,” Cobb said. “I am fortunate enough to know enough about the game to tweak (their game) a little bit. I think you should make a difference in a player’s game, if you can.”

Here's a look at the 2011 West Deptford golf team.

Coach: John Cobb

Record last season: 20-4

Key returnees: Jordan Haines, (sr.), Kevin Brockway (jr.), Matt Santarelli (jr), Zach Vorndran (jr.), John Meagher (jr.)

Promising Newcomers: Ryan Henry (jr.), Putter Angert (jr.), Joe Duffy (so.), Justin Fox (so.)

Conference favorite: Haddonfield

Three storylines to follow

- Can Brockway fill the void lost by the graduation of four-year starter and No. 1 golfer Matt Jakubowski?

For the last four years Cobb could pencil in Jakubowski for a good score each time out on the course. Now the pressure of being the top player will fall on Brockway, who was the No. 2 scorer for the Eagles a year ago. Cobb believes Brockway will play well in the No. 1 slot and expects him to shoot in the high 30s.

“Kevin’s a good kid, works hard, and loves the game,” Cobb said. “We are looking for him to fill hole we got when we lost Matt. We will need him to play well for us to be competitive, and I think he will.”

- Can the Eagles challenge Haddonfield? West Deptford has only lost eight matches in Cobb’s four years as head coach. Each loss came against Haddonfield.

The Bulldogs have been the class of the Colonial Conference and figure to be favorites to win the title again this season.

It may be asking a lot for a West Deptford team that features only one senior to overcome Haddonfield’s history, but Cobb expects the team to stay in the hunt.

“We are knocking on door, but this year we are a little inexperienced,” he said.

- The Riverwinds advantage. Anyone who has spent anytime at Riverwinds knows that it has earned that name for a reason. The winds can be brutal and that makes the golf course very challenging.

Oddly enough, that gives the Eagles an advantage, according to Cobb, as they have the experience of practicing on the course and getting a feel for how each shot plays in each wind condition. Golfers who are playing the course for the first or second time don’t have that luxury and it can show in the scores.

In addition to having an edge at home Cobb also feels playing Riverwinds daily gives his players confidence for when they play on the road. He said that since the players are used to playing a difficult course daily, they feel confident on the road knowing they may not have the same challenges, even if the course is foreign to them.

On Thursday, westdeptford.patch.com will preview the girls lacrosse team.