Fore! Old Rochester golf wins state championship
John Bongiorno gets ready to swing at practice.
Jack Czerkowicz takes a swing. 
Jack Czerkowicz takes a shot at practice. 
John Bongiorno watches the ball fly. 
Brady Mills watches his ball go down the course. 
John Bongiorno and his team take practice shots. 
August Herbert chats with the team.
Jack Czerkowicz begins a round at practice. 
John begins his round. 
John Bongiorno finishes a swing.
Old Rochester celebrates their state championship. From left to right: Coach Carroll, August Herbert, Luke Pierre, Brady Mills, Jack Czerkowicz, Brenden Fuller, John Bongiorno, and Head Coach Chris Cabe. Source: ORRHS Facebook Page
Brady Mills grabs his bag and moves down the course.
John Bongiorno gets ready to swing at practice.
Jack Czerkowicz takes a swing.
Jack Czerkowicz takes a shot at practice.
John Bongiorno watches the ball fly.
Brady Mills watches his ball go down the course.
John Bongiorno and his team take practice shots.
August Herbert chats with the team.
Jack Czerkowicz begins a round at practice.
John begins his round.
John Bongiorno finishes a swing.
Old Rochester celebrates their state championship. From left to right: Coach Carroll, August Herbert, Luke Pierre, Brady Mills, Jack Czerkowicz, Brenden Fuller, John Bongiorno, and Head Coach Chris Cabe. Source: ORRHS Facebook Page
Brady Mills grabs his bag and moves down the course.
UXBRIDGE — Old Rochester Regional High School’s Boys Golf Team won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association state championship by an eight stroke difference on Monday, Oct. 27, with bulldog athletes Jack Czerkowicz and Luke Pierre tying for 3rd place in individual categories.
Juniors Czerkowicz and Pierre tied for 3rd overall, shooting a 77. Senior Brady Mills placed 16th overall scoring an 83 and junior John Bongiorno tied for 30th with an 86. Old Rochester scored an overall 323 beating Ayer Shirley Regional High School with 331.
Going into the state championship, Old Rochester was undefeated 15-0 in the regular season.
Head Coach Chris Cabe was not surprised they won. “I knew we had a really good shot. We just had to go out there and play our A-game under some pretty tough conditions,” he said.
The team had to deal with some colder weather than expected, but Cabe had confidence in his golfers.
“They're very smart golfers, they know how to put themselves in positions off the tee to get themselves on the green and be able to score … If they do make a mistake on the course, they don't let it snowball,” Cabe said.
Czerkowicz of Marion was the top player at the South Coast conference and the South sectionals — the two tournaments before the championship.
Coming into the state tournament, Czerkowicz, a captain, and his team came in with confidence.
“I felt like our team had a lot of confidence coming into this tournament that really helped fuel us and win,” Czerkowicz said.
He was proud of how he played and said, “I actually putt very well and saved myself a couple times on bad wedge shots which helped.”
Mills of Rochester was focused on putting up a good score for his team and finishing the season strong, even though he struggled in the first nine holes.
“I didn't really play how I wanted to, but I think I played good enough to get the job done,” he said.
Looking to next season, Cabe aims to get to the state championship again.
“These kids will be a year older, a year stronger, and a year wiser on the golf course. So this being said, we should be able to get back [to the championship], but it is a tough feat to do,” Cabe said.
The team now anticipates an invitation to the Professional Golfer’s Association High School Golf National Invitational held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina in July.
