Coming off a long Red Devil Invitational tournament, Westfield had a tough fight against Scotch Plains-Fanwood to continue a streak against Union County opponents. With an evolving roster, the Blue Devils needed solid performances across the board to take down the Raiders, and they were able to do just that. Junior Toby Zippler and Jack Paterson finished the match with 39 strokes each while sophomore Nick Benson followed with 40 strokes and junior Brody Esler tallied 42 strokes to secure a landslide victory, 159-173.
The Union County Tournament begins on Wednesday, and Westfield will be facing a few of the toughest opponents in New Jersey including Oratory Prep, who has taken down Westfield twice this season. Summit and Cranford will also be in the mix, putting extra pressure on the Blue Devils.
Head coach Ryan Daly thinks each match plays an important role in seasonal development. This was a confidence boost and helped the boys “to get in the competitive mindset for counties.”
After the match and a commanding victory, coach Daly is looking on to the next. “We feel pretty good. It’s a nice opportunity to play a match against Scotch Plains, who are always tough competitors for us, one of our rivals going back for a long time.”
Paterson and Zippler, who shot a 39 each on the day, have a positive, forgiving mindset when it comes to each round. “Not really taking into account the wins and the losses and keeping the record 0-0 and playing your best everyday,” said Paterson.
“Forgetting the bad shots and moving on to the next,” Zippler added encouragingly.
Looking back at the match, they each played consistently well but each had a shot or two that stood out. For Paterson, it came on the tenth hole when he stood roughly 120 yards off the green and with a wedge shot, put the ball within six feet of the cup.
Zippler had a solid day as a whole and hit the ball off the tee exceptionally well. With more and more players contributing to the Westfield score, they are gaining solid momentum as they roll through the championship season.
Facing tough opponents on Wednesday, Westfield looks to bring back a Union County trophy and continue their overall improvement as the end of the season approaches quickly.
