Boys High School Golf: Medina returns bulk of state qualifying team

The Medina boys golf team returning five players who helped the Bees reach the Division I state tournament highlights what promises to be another exciting Medina County season. The Bees will have to replace three-time All-Gazette selection Preston Trumpler at the top of the lineup but likely will be in the mix to repeat as Greater Cleveland Conference champions. Meanwhile, Wadsworth returns only one player from last season's senior-laden team that was the program's best in a generation. The Grizzlies and Highland were in contention for Suburban League conference titles right until the end of the season, when they both finished second. The Hornets have three seniors returning as they look to take the next step. Speaking of just missing out on a conference championship, Cloverleaf had multiple occasions last season in which one or two strokes would have made all the difference in the Colts' bid to repeat in the Metro Athletic Conference. Meanwhile, Brunswick, Black River and Buckeye have new coaches. Black River Coach: Dave Mate II (1st season) Last season: 0-9, 0-8, 5th Lorain County League Tournament (5th overall), 13th of 14 teams at Pine Hills Division III Sectional. Home course: Rolling Acres Golf Club. Key letterwinners lost: None. Letterwinners: Lenny Ramirez (sr.), Nicholas Jackson (sr.), Charlotte Falsone (jr.). Newcomers: Hunter Mate (so.). Noteworthy: Dave Mate is also the Black River bowling coach and hopes to build on the team's mechanics with three returning letterwinners. l Hunter Mate is Dave Mate's son. l Austyn Foster and Steven Clark opted to not come out for the team. Brunswick Coach: Colin Smith (1st season) Last season: 1-4, 4th, 3rd, 3rd Greater Cleveland Conference Tournaments (3rd overall), 5th of 15 teams at J.E. Good Park D-I Sectional, Max Heilbrun Pine Hills District qualifier. Home course: Pine Hills Golf Club. Key letterwinner lost: Max Heilbrun (All-Gazette). Letterwinners: Cayden de Wever (sr.), Eric Carbone (sr.), Dayten Bobula (jr.), Jonas Hinderer (jr.). Newcomers: Dylan Piatak (sr.), Mike Samano (sr.), Mikey Makara (sr.), Ethan Kovacs (so.). Noteworthy: Smith, a Brunswick English teacher, served as junior varsity coach under Chad Thompson, who is working with both the girls and boys teams this year. l Hinderer lettered as a freshman before spending last season on junior varsity. Smith expects him to make an impact this season, along with Kovacs. l Senior Tyler Yudess has decided to focus on baseball and did not try out for the team. Buckeye Coach: David Reiter Jr. (1st season). Last season: 5-2, 5-2 Great Lakes Conference, 5th GLC Tournament (4th overall), 11th of 15 teams at J. E. Good Park D-I Sectional. Home course: Coppertop Golf Club. Key letterwinners lost: None. Letterwinners: Nathan Heineman (jr.), Matt Csach (jr.), Luca Violi (so.). Newcomers: Jaden Yee (sr.), Noah Czyrba (so.), Grace Palermo (so.), Andy Kost (fr.), Owen McDonald (fr.). Noteworthy: Reiter, a Brunswick graduate who played under Chad Thompson, takes over for Shane Hotchkiss and has a young team that should progress throughout the year. l Junior Scott DiMarco, who nearly qualified for districts last fall, opted to focus on baseball. Cloverleaf Coach: Mike McGee (2nd season, 10-5 record). Last season: 10-5, 10-4 Metro Athletic Conference, 5th at MAC Tournament (2nd overall), 7th of 15 teams at J.E. Good Park D-I Sectional, Branson Harding Pine Hills District qualifier. Home course: Rawiga Golf Club. Key letterwinners lost: None Letterwinners: Mark Stewart (sr.), Robby Wells (sr.), Derek Koval (jr.), Dawson Tryon (jr.), Carter Whitehair (jr.). Newcomers: Zach Paladenic (sr.), Zane Schreck (fr.), Gavin Jenkins (fr.). Noteworthy: Cloverleaf is working to get back on top of the MAC, where it was for three straight years until a wacky tournament on a cold, drizzling day saw the standings get turned upside down last year. l Stewart is currently out with a left shoulder injury. Highland Coach: Andrew Dutt (11th Season, 70-23-1). Last season: 5-2, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 2nd Suburban League American Conference Tournaments (2nd overall), 6th of 15 teams at J.E. Good Park D-I Sectional. Home course: Pine Hills Golf Club. Key letterwinners lost: Joey Kohmann (HM All-Gazette). Letterwinners: Ryan Przybysz (HM All-Gazette, sr.), Drew Mamer (HM All-Gazette, sr.), Zach Butcher (MH All-Gazette, jr.), Nathan Sprutte (sr.), Luke Butcher (jr.). Newcomers: Josh Butcher (so.), Samir Amer (so.). Noteworthy: The Hornets are working to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season in which they finished second in the SL American and failed to reach the Pine Hills District. l Mamer lost out on the last qualifying spot for districts in a five-player playoff won by Barberton's Marco Silva. Brunswick's Carbone and Buckeye's DiMarco were also in the playoff. l With five players back from last year's team, Highland has plenty of "guys that have been there and done that," according to Dutt. Medina Coach: Mike Mozingo (6th season, 23-6-1). Last season: 2-3, 1st, 1st, 1st Greater Cleveland Conference tournaments (1st overall), 4th of 16 teams at J.E. Good Park D-I Sectional, 5th of 20 at Pine Hills District, 12th of 12 at state tournament. Home course: Fox Meadow Country Club. Key letterwinners lost: Preston Trumpler (All-Gazette). Letterwinners: Ethan Cole (sr.), William Guest (sr.), Eli Zimmerman (HM All-Gazette, jr.), Coen Miller (jr.), Cam Stafford (All-Gazette, so.). Newcomers: Miles Coughenour (so.), Wren Spires (fr.). Noteworthy: The young Bees got plenty of experience and a taste for competition during last season's GCC championship and run to the state tournament. l Who will take the reins and lead the team after Trumpler's graduation will be key to repeating last year's success. l J.T. Mog (basketball) and Eliot Thompson (hockey) opted to focus on other sports. Wadsworth Coach: Steve Ferris (2nd season, 10-1 record). Last season: 10-1, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 3rd Suburban League National Conference Tournaments (2nd overall), 2nd of 15 teams at J.E. Good Park D-I Sectional, 10th of 20 at Pine Hills District. Home course: Pine Valley Golf Course Key letterwinners lost: Andrew Weyand (Gazette MVP), Brian Myers (All-Gazette), Jason Moore (All-Gazette). Letterwinners: Landon Blizzard (HM All-Gazette, jr.) Newcomers: Ethan Kuzmik (sr.), Kellen Roberts (sr.), Ethan Dolgowicz (sr.), Cam Croley (jr.), Michael Fahey (so.), Collin Gerber (so.). Noteworthy: Blizzard is the only holdover from last year's team that nearly won the SL National, qualified for the districts and was 15 strokes from qualifying for state. l Fahey won his flight at the Good Park Junior in July and Kuzmik has also had a productive summer. Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.