FALL SPORTS NOTEBOOK: Revived PV golf program has a baseball flavor
Drew Kokinda and Carson Surotchak both know what it’s like to perform on a big stage.
Each were members of Panther Valley’s District 11 Class 3A championship baseball team last spring that defeated Palmerton in the final. The Panthers’ season-long scamper ended in the state playoffs.
Now the duo - along with five other teammates who were also part of that championship baseball team - comprise the roster for the revived Panther Valley golf program that is fielding a team for the first time in years.
The Panthers began the season winning two of their first three matches, but they have since dropped three consecutive ones.
Still, spirits are high.
“The season is going great so far, “ said Kokinda, a junior who has paced the team and has been consistently shooting in the low 80s. “Having my baseball teammates and friends on the golf team makes the season a lot of fun and competitive.
“We’re a competitive group, so we all are constantly competing with each other.”
Head coach Greg Surotchak - a 1987 PV grad who was a district golf qualifier when he played - confirmed Kokinda’s assessment.
“They are very competitive,” said Surotchak. “Anytime they can have a competition about something, they will do it. The great thing is that they are already a team.
“We put everything together very quickly to start the season, and having these guys made it that much easier. They know each other well, and they know how to win.”
Other members of the team are seniors Cory Orsulak and Brad Hood, along with juniors Carson Surotchak, Stephen Hood, Hayden Goida, and Tyler Black. John Cooper and Keith Gogel are volunteer assistant coaches.
Stephen Hood led the baseball team in RBIs last season with 24, followed by Goida (23) and Orsulak (20). The team finished 18-7 overall.
Surotchak, the coach’s son, is beginning to see the bigger picture down the road.
“We have two tri-matches left, and we still have a chance to get over the .500 mark. A strong first year would be a statement to other people within the school, and could really benefit the program’s popularity and bring more kids out next year.
“Although golf is an individual sport, it still helps having the atmosphere of teammates from other sports. Anytime during the baseball season when things weren’t going well, we would pick each other up. We have the same mentality being on the golf team.”
Coach Surotchak has worked to instill an inspiring team motto via a T-shirt with the message and acronym, “Golf is H.A.R.D. - Honesty, Attitude, Respect and Discipline.”
“We stress all four of these pillars,” he said. “There is a lot of shadiness in the league with kids not reporting their correct scores. When they do that, they are only hurting themselves.
“Our kids are disciplined, and they want to do the right thing. They have a great and honest work ethic from being together, and you can see it out on the course.”
Surotchak added that the team can have individual players compete in districts, and the team will be officially accepted into the Schuylkill League in 2024. It currently is an independent team and couldn’t win the league championship this year.
He is confident the program will continue to grow moving forward.
“This year is not about wins and losses,” he said. “We want the kids to gain confidence on the course. We want to build the program, and things are going well so far.”
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PERFECTION … A convincing 405-463 Colonial League win over Northwestern at Olde Homestead on Monday afternoon capped an undefeated regular season for the Palmerton golf team.
The Bombers finished with a 14-0 overall record.
But success is nothing new to Palmerton, which has compiled an eye-popping 56-1 regular season record since 2019. That success has also extended to the postseason, as the Bombers have captured three consecutive District 11 championships and two straight Colonial League titles.
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THANKS FOR THE INVITE … The Northwestern boys’ cross-country team has made the most of its invitations this season.
The Tigers have competed in a pair of invitationals - the Lions Invitational to open the season at Moravian Academy and the Centaur Invitational at DeSales University this past weekend.
As a team, the Tigers placed high in the standings in both meets, as they finished fourth at Moravian Academy and took home a third from DeSales.
Even more impressive have been the individual performances of a pair of Tigers. Samuel Bower picked up a first-place finish this past weekend, while Matthew Santana took second place on opening weekend and added a third-place finish at DeSales.
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JOINING AN ELITE CLUB … On Saturday, Josh Zellner and Matt Johnson both added their names to the Northwestern boys’ soccer record books when they joined the program’s 100-point club.
Zellner has posted a total of 40 goals and 21 assists in his career so far for 101 points. Johnson has recorded 39 goals and 22 assists for 100 points. Players are awarded two points for a goal and a single point for an assist.
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LET’S PLAY TWO … The Tamaqua girls’ soccer team had a busy day on Saturday as it played games against two different opponents.
The non-tradition doublehader proved to be double the pleasure for the Blue Raiders, as they posted victories over both Marian (9-0) and Lincoln Leadership Academy (8-0).
Against Marian, in the first-ever varsity soccer meeting between the two programs, Sarah Hope sparked the Blue Raiders with three goals, while Kimmy Rudy added two goals and an assist. Against LLA, the Raider trio of Sarah Hope, Megan Lavine and Isabella Fort all finished with two goals, while Kimmy Rudy added a goal and three assists.
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COACHING MILESTONES … Earlier this season, Northwestern boys’ soccer coach Nate Hunsicker and Lehighton boys’ soccer coach Dave Yob each reached milestones in their respective coaching careers. On Tuesday, Aug. 30, the Tigers handed Hunsicker his 200th-career coaching victory when they posted a 5-0 Colonial League win over Notre Dame of Green Pond. On Monday, Sept. 5, the Indians’ gave Yob his 100th-career victory with an identical 5-0 victory against non-league opponent Catasauqua.
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ABOVE AVERAGE BELOW PARS … High school golfers usually don’t shoot many, if any, below par rounds during the season.
But two-time Times News Golfer of the Year Tyler Hager isn’t your average golfer. Hager has a scoring average of 73 on the season that includes five under par rounds.
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GREAT STARTS … Several local fall sports programs have gotten off to strong starts this season. The Northwestern boys’ soccer team is currently 7-0, the Palmerton girls’ soccer team and Jim Thorpe volleyball team are both 6-0, and the Jim Thorpe girls soccer team is 5-0.