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Canfield boys golfers eye trip to state
By GREG GULAS
The Canfield boys golf team is coming off a 35-2 overall mark and a 15-1 All-American Conference (Red Tier) ledger a season ago — a season that saw Bruce “Boo” Timko qualify for the state tournament as a junior.
Head coach Mike Murphy heads into his third season as the boys head mentor and with two prior state appearances (Canfield in 2008 and Ursuline in 2005), he would love nothing better than to see his team return to the state tournament.
“Playing at Kennsington has helped our tee-to-green game, but if we want to go back to Scarlet [state tournament] then we have to become wizards around the greens. The thing you notice at state is how great every team’s short game is,” Murphy said.
Four seniors, five juniors and two freshmen comprise his unit this year with Timko having already given a verbal commitment to play at Ohio State next fall.
In addition to Timko, the other seniors include Michael Bleggi, Tim Cheslik and Ryan Sullivan, the latter a two-year letterwinner who Murphy said is hitting the ball very well.
The juniors include Chris Wilkens, Zach Eckert, Joe Benson, Adam Bouch and Scott McMurray. Murphy is also counting on freshmen Dominic Carano and Isaiah Pouliot.
Murphy noted that Wilkens has an athletic swing; Eckert is steady and has worked as hard as any player that he has ever coached. He said Benson has improved his game this past off-season and Bouch is coming on after getting hurt in baseball.
Carano, who recently shot a 37 against Salem and a 41 versus Girard, is considered one of the top freshmen in northeastern Ohio.