Boys golf/Scouting the ESCC tournament

By Bill Esbrook

Daily Herald Correspondent

When: 8 a.m. today

Where: Links of Carrilon, Plainfield

Outlook: Three-time state champion St. Viator has won the ESCC title six of the last 10 years and the Lions will be looking for more this season with a team coach Jack Halpin calls “as red hot as any I’ve ever had.” The Lions are undefeated in league play with an 8-0 mark, and they scored one of the best ever 9-hole rounds in the school’s 50 year history with a one-over par 146 to best rival Benet Academy this year in a battle of unbeatens at Carrilon. Medalist Charles Derrick led the way in the record-setter with a 35 and Sam Masini (36), Pat Schuetz (36) and Luke DeTrempe (36) also made clutch contributions.

Viator had an almost unheard of three dual rounds in the 140s this year as Tim Orlowski, Robert Renner, Hudson Luthringshausen and Frank Travaglio have all played a part in the success story. The Lions will head into the meet with a 1½-point lead over Benet (6-2) and Carmel (6-2) in the tournament that figures to be hotly contested, but Halpin likes the Lions chances, especially with the new team golf shoes adorned with the “Red Lion” that the players are wearing.

“The boys love the look that the shoes give them and they’ve become a symbol of team unity,” said Halpin. “Last summer two of our leaders from prior years (Brad Klune and Matt Vitale) were driving to a tournament together and said the realized that ‘they never know how cool the stuff coach got for us was until we started playing college golf.’ So obviously looking good is in at Saint Viator.”

Also looking good this season has been Viator’s 18-hole tourney successes, with a first-place finish at the Tournament of Champions at Old Orchard, a second at Biltmore and a third at Rolling Green in the season opener.