With only two seniors and many new faces on the team, it appears the CHS Pirates golf team will be a competitive force for years to come. After going 6-11 in last year’s campaign, the Pirates are eager to bounce back this season.
As a young team, most of the players are either freshmen or sophomores. Head Coach Bret Jenkins said one of his goals for the season is to develop these younger golfers.
“We are fairly young,” Jenkins said. “11 of our 14 people are freshmen or sophomores, and our goal is to make sure we are improving throughout the entire year.”
While they may be young, the underclassmen have a bright future ahead as demonstrated by their early success. Currently 12-3, the team has earned big wins against Bordentown, Burlington Township, and Northern Burlington having won both of their matches against these schools. The Pirates also defeated Delran in back-to-back wins against the Bears. In their second match against Holy Cross, the Pirates avenged their season’s earlier loss to the Lancers, 173-180.
In addition to welcoming new faces, the Pirates have also changed divisions this season. According to Coach Jenkins, this divisional change means better competition. This has provided some challenges for the team at times with some tough opponents, and combined with the lack of experience with the young group, the team has had some challenges to overcome.
“We have some very difficult matches, and Moorestown Friends were moved into our division,” Jenkins said ahead of the season. “They are a very good team. With our lack of experience going into tournaments and with new talented teams in the division there will be a lot of challenges.”
Despite these challenges, the Pirates are second in the BCSL division behind Moorestown Friends. Their three losses have been to Moorestown Friends, Haddonfield, and Holy Cross.
One contributing factor to the team’s success is their new chemistry. Sophomore Tyler Harris describes how his team encouraged him when he struggled during a recent match.
“The team’s energy is really good,” Harris said. “We have a ton of freshmen so we have a ton of potential and when I had a bad match everybody told me to pick my head up. They just helped me out and they are all supportive.”
Senior Ryan Gibson can attest to the golf team’s camaraderie. He has been a top golfer for Cinnaminson these last four years and will be a key piece in winning a potential title for the team. His goal for the team is to go all the way.
“This year I want to get first team all-conference and hopefully a sectional championship,” Gibson said.
Like Gibson, Harris is determined to perform well – both as a team and individually.
“I want to place in the top 10 in sectionals, and I want to place in the top three in the division,” Harris said.
The Pirates secured the sectional championship at Twisted Dunes Golf Course on May 6, which puts them in the race for the state title. The team next plays on Wednesday, May 15 at home against Pennsauken.
