Penn College Golfers Headed for Playoffs

A short regular season for the Pennsylvania College of Technology golf team was shortened even further as three of five scheduled matches were canceled by rain. But coach Chet Schuman remains optimistic as his team heads into tournament action next week.

"It's unfortunate, because we've got a really good group of kids," Schuman said of the washouts. On the other hand, the Wildcats went 10-0 in the two tournaments they did play and had medalists both times, which is the reason for the coach's optimism.

Competing for Penn College on Monday in the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference North Division and Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association East Region Championships at the Golden Oaks course in Fleetwood, near Reading, will be sophomores Brandon Smith (Wellsboro), Jeff Kerr II (Bloomsburg) and Scott Dawson (Danville) and freshmen Tony Stopper (Jersey Shore), Shaun McQuay(Warrior Run) and Gilbert Balliet (Warrior Run). Smith was medalist in one tournament and McQuay in the other.

"Anything can happen, but, if the kids shoot to their ability, we're going to do well," Schuman said. "I don't want to jinx us, but I don't want to downplay the kids, either. I think we have a great group of golfers. They play well together, they support each other and I just hope we can walk away doing very well.

"Last year, we had the medalist in Jeff Kerr, and he's back. We have a cadre of really good golfers better than last year," Schuman continued. Hesaid his golfers will play a practice round on Sunday to familiarize themselves with the course.

"It's a totally different experience if you know what you're expecting than to go out and play the course blind," Schuman said.

Penn College not only won the EPCC title a year ago, but went on to claim the overall PCAA team and individual championships as well during a 45-0 season.

This year's PCAA championship is being combined with the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference championship Oct. 11-12 at the Penn National course near Chambersburg.

The top nine golfers from the EPCC North, along with the top eight from the entire field, will advance, and Schuman said, "all of these kids have those capabilities."

Going into the postseason, Schuman said the team is rallying around a statement by Smith, who "reminded everybody that he has never lost as a golfer for Penn College and he doesn't want to start now."