The boys and I have been busy. The weather has been outstanding. Ideal conditions for golf. Thanks to Lycoming College and our friends for their support. We play year-round now. 7 events this fall and 6 in the spring. Our schedule is full. Never a dull moment with these kids. Props to Williamsport Country Club. They serve as our home course where we hone our skills. We are so blessed to have an amazing facility in the backyard. Our shirts are always tucked, and we wear belts. My man David Coates takes great care of the Warriors.
This is my 20th year coaching the squad. Yes. I have been mentoring the Lycoming College Golf Team for quite some time. My second stint after a brief pause. I was with the team from 2001 to 2016. I stepped away to find meaning. Midlife crises? Perhaps. I am still searching. But retiring from hoops left me with a major void. Interacting with youngsters, regardless of the sport, is still very important. The opportunity came knocking again. I signed back up, and I am so glad I did.
Coaching Division III golf is the best gig in the world. There are so many perks. Very few distractions. No drama with these boys, and we have minimal expectations. Our players have no NIL deals, and they come in all shapes and sizes. My guys always graduate. Our parents are outstanding. They come to many of our events. Yes. We have galleries. They don’t blame me when a ball flies into the trees. No experts behind the scenes. You should play zone Coach. That never happens in this sport.
I love all of the guys on my roster. Everyone is so different. We have a blast. The van rides are hysterical. 2025 is off to a great start. We are turning some heads. Would I like them to make more putts? Absolutely. But they are great kids. I enjoy the camaraderie. Our interactions are stupendous. We are constantly laughing. Each trip is better than the last. I still enjoy the game, but I play very little. No worries. Golf takes time. I would rather fish. I am no longer solid. But now that I am around the boys, I am starting to get the itch. I played 18 the other day. Say what? Yes. I even carried my bag. My legs still hurt.
Our fall season kicked off this past weekend. The boys and I were in Carlisle, PA, for the Dickinson Fall Invitational. 20 teams. Some of the finest D3 squads in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Warriors made history and posted some outstanding scores. Our best team total in 52 years. I am not kidding. Freshman Hill Meserve led Lycoming with a 75 on Sunday. Junior Will Eberz carded a 76. Junior Connor Shanahan posted a 78. Freshman Ryan Ault added a 79, and freshman Tre Lesperance tallied an 81. Incredible performance. 308 strokes. We are rock stars. #warriorgolf is trending on campus. We are more popular than Tom Cillo right now. No time to celebrate. The Warriors have two events next week. Marywood University on Wednesday. Susquehanna Thursday.
Dylan Seck is the man. We call him Doogie Howser. The senior lefty from Sayre, PA, is a beauty. He is focusing more on applying to med schools than chipping. Dylan is wicked smart. He is also EMT certified. When most kids are playing SEGA, Dylan is driving an ambulance. Crazy. He also just got married. Kyle Davis is another senior from Liberty. He looks great and has a fantastic smile. Kyle’s dad and I played some golf when he was just a youngster. What a fantastic lad. We are blessed to have him.
Junior Will Eberz is our captain. He is from Stroudsburg. Will is now a junior, and he has a chance to become Lycoming’s GOAT. Eberz finished in the top 20 at our Conference Tourney as a freshman. He followed it up with a 5th-place finish last year. Incredible. The Landmark is loaded. Will is an exceptional dude. He brings so much to our program. Junior Ross Eyer will join us in the spring. The Muncy, PA native is currently playing football. Ross is great and relatively new. But he has got the bug. Junior Connor Shanahan is one of my favorites. The scrappy 5’8 lefty is the starting point guard for Warrior’s Hoops team. Connor has a game, and he fired a great round on Sunday. He comes from a terrific family.
Gabe Cendoma is a local. The sophomore played hoops for me at St. John Regional. Gabe is another fine-looking lad. He is new to golf and is improving. Tre Lesperance is a player. Don’t let his size fool you. The 5’3 freshman from Chads Ford, PA is solid. Tre will make an immediate impact. Hill Meserve played with Tre at Unionville High. It was a package deal. We are so excited. The 6’2 freshman crushes the ball. He had a great opening weekend as a Warrior. Freshman Ryan Ault is from Jersey Shore, PA. He is a bulldog. Period. Ryan can also play, and he adds some comic relief. The big fella will add depth and already leads the team with three 911 pocket dials. True story.
Fantastic group. The boys and I are looking forward to the fall. We get to play some amazing courses. We are loaded with several #warriorgolf balls. A few might end up in the woods. But with the caliber of newbies, most will find the fairway too. I hope to build on our existing relationships and make some new. There is a lot of buzz with our program. It is so cool. Special shout to my guys for keeping me young. Cheers.
