BOYS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF Warren JFK golf team rubs off on Irish

Ursuline has adopted some of JFK's successful strategy, and both are state-bound.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
When Ursuline High boys golf coach Michael Murphy was hired five years ago, he wanted to build a team that was good enough to advance to the state tournament.
He didn't need to look far for advice.
For the past eight years, Warren JFK has had the best boys program in the area, playing a regular-season schedule filled with competitive 18-hole tournaments. That's no accident. When JFK coach Bob Todd was building the Eagles' program, he noticed the best teams in the state were tournament-tested.
So, he simply copied their approach.
"[Todd] passed on some great wisdom and we just copied a lot of stuff he did," Murphy said, "and he had copied the Columbus and Cincinnati teams.
"It's just like what [Ohio State football coach] Jim Tressel did. You take a little piece of this program and a little piece of that program and try to put what they do best into your team."
JFK, Ursuline to state
The approach worked. JFK is back in the state tournament for the fifth time in seven years (the Eagles have had at least one player in the state tournament for eight straight years), and the Irish will make their first appearance since they were a state power in the 1960s and '70s.
"Ursuline golf was absolutely awesome back then," said Murphy, a 1982 Ursuline graduate. "My whole goal was to get us back to that point."
Murphy didn't play golf in high school -- he was a basketball standout -- but made himself into a scratch golfer mainly by hitting lots and lots of golf balls. He took the same approach with the Irish, encouraging them to play year-round.
"When I took over, I knew we had kids that could play," Murphy said. "But we weren't winning anything. So I got some young kids involved and we just went out and hit balls and we made sure to play a schedule that got us tournament ready."
Cene's 68 tied for No. 1
JFK placed second at last week's Division III district and the Irish finished fourth in Division II. Both grabbed the final state qualifying spot in their divisions. Ursuline edged Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary by one stroke, thanks in large part to sophomore Paul Cene, who shot a 68 at the Wind Mill Lakes course. He tied West Muskingum senior Derek Brown for the best state qualifying score state-wide.
"That was one of the best rounds I've ever seen in golf," Murphy said of Cene's round. "We played that course on Saturday and Sunday [before the tournament] and he shot 75-76.
"For him to shoot that [68] was absolutely amazing."
Sophomore Jake Detec had Ursuline's second-best round with an 81, followed by junior Ryan Spear (82), sophomore Zach Humphries (86) and sophomore Jeff Deane (87). Ursuline's top golfer, Steel Valley Conference medalist Joe Santisi, missed the district tournament but should return this weekend.
JFK is seasoned team
JFK finished two back of Gilmour Academy in the district tournament, and returns all but one player from last year's team, which finished 10th at the state tournament. Senior Jim Pipino shot a team-best 80 at the district tournament, followed by senior Nick Moody (83), junior Scott Difford (83), sophomore Nick Basciano (86) and senior Matt Nuzzi (91).
"It's a real solid team," Todd said. "Every time we've gone down, we've always been able to take a couple boys with us who get that state tournament experience and can step in the next couple years."
This year's Eagles aren't quite as talented as the ones that won state titles in 2000 and 2001 when Jason Kokrak and Colin Clemente were playing, but they're plenty good.
"Your goal is always to win it," Todd said. "We're hoping to go down there and win or at least be in the top three. I'm not sure who's there, but there's no doubt there's going to be great competition. There always is."
scalzo@vindy.com