Golfers at South Side High School earn share of title

The South Side varsity golf team recently completed its season with an outstanding record of 9-1 and shared the Conference V title with Garden City.

Led by sophomore Sean Byrne, junior Alex Matos, senior Greg Stavrou, junior Casey Cameron and senior Mike Boranian, the Cyclones averaged a school-record 201 stroke score per nine-hole match and to qualified as a team for the Nassau County championships, which will be played in the spring at Bethpage.

“Even though we’re young, we knew we had a lot of talent,” Coach Russ Reid said. In the conference finale on Oct. 13 at Lido Golf Course, Byrne shot a 2-under 34 and Stavrou had an even-par 36 to lead South Side to a convincing win over Long Beach. Byrne (team-best 36.9 adjusted stroke average) and Matos were All-County performers in 2009, while Stavrou picked up All-Conference accolades.

The Cyclones also set a team mark for a single match score with a 189 on Eisenhower’s Blue Course Sept. 13 in a season-opening win over Sewanhaka.

This year’s team had outstanding depth since all 10 members averaged fewer than 44 for nine holes. Each member made a significant contribution to the team’s success as it twice defeated Freeport, Lawrence, Oceanside, and Sewanhaka, and split with perennial power Garden City.

Freshman, James Messina, sophomores Kevin Boranian and Chris Mullooly as well as junior Dan Chelios added at least one win apiece.

Coaches Reid and Jerry D’Angelo are confident the team will perform well in the county tournament in May and be a force to be reckoned with next year with eight golfers returning. Twelve teams compete in the county tourney, with the top six advancing after the opening round.

“Our goal as a team is to get to a second day of the county tournament,” Reid said. “Last year’s experience should serve the kids well.”