As the final strokes were played at the PIAA AA boys’ golf championships in York on Oct. 23, with the St. Joseph’s Wolves finishing fifth in the standings, Matt Steyers was reluctant to say goodbye to his program and his teammates.
‘After the round, I was pretty upset,’ Steyers said. ‘It would’ve been nice to win, of course, but I wasn’t sad because we didn’t win. I was sad because all this time we’ve spent together has been amazing. It’s been the best time of my life, I loved every second of it and I was sad that it was over.’
The Wolves’ unit, making a second consecutive trip to Heritage Hills in York with the PIAA championship on the line, came up short of a victory with a 348 team score. North East became the AA champions with a score of 314, defeating Scranton Prep by 17 strokes.
For the Wolves, the day was a send-off for all five senior members of the States squad, as the teammates all shared a final outing at Heritage Hills.
‘There would’ve been an ounce of sadness even in a win, as crazy as that sounds,’ head coach Chad Walsh said. ‘No matter what — win, lose or draw — there’s a sense that the ride is over. In the moment, you can’t think about it, so when it happens and the season is over, it’s a snap into reality.’
Despite the disappointing finish, the tournament was an exhilarating several-day stretch from the top high school golfers Pennsylvania has to offer.
‘From my standpoint, it was a lot of fun,’ Walsh said. ‘I got to just hang out and watch golf for four days. Five rounds of golf, really good golf. It was a good experience for me.’
Jack Mangene, on top of being part of the team scoring for the Wolves, also competed in the individual tournament, finishing in the top ten after a rough start.
‘I was able to settle down, keep myself composed and shoot as well as I possibly could,’ Mangene said.
Having a level of maturity and composure is something that has been with them throughout their time at St. Joe’s, according to Walsh.
‘They’re not just golfers,’ Walsh said. ‘Not everything is hanging on one round, on one shot, even on one season. There’s so much more to them, they get to operate with incredible freedom. I think there’s a lot to be said about that, especially for young athletes.’
