By Paul Zech
The 1st big thank you from our entire team, goes to Seascape Golf Club, its ownership group, golf staff, greens keepers & maintenance staff and all the other wonderful staff members working there and fully supporting the school golf programs for both boys & girls teams.
Aptos High Golf Team at Seascape Golf Club
The Aptos High School Mariners Golf program has been #1 so many times over the last several decades, the program has lost track.
Like every year, our junior varsity & assistant Coaches, Brad King, Jesse Cox, Dominic DeLuca & Shane Garvey have the job and pleasure of grooming the future varsity players for the lucky head coach Paul Zech. Those coaches prepare and deliver to the head coach young men who have been worked with daily to help them get the most out of the golf program.
The boys are all such polite and courteous gentlemen everywhere we go, representing both the school and Aptos community, they represent all very well.
Aptos High Golf Team celebrates their League champion banner after the SCCAL League championship match May 2 at Delaveaga. From left: Dominic DeLuca, assistant JV coach, Shawn Rochelle, junior, Ben Nowark , sophomore, Luke Garvey, junior, Andrew Cox, junior, Tyler Grosdidier, junior, Colby Culbertson, sophomore, and Coach Paul Zech.
As a coach, my biggest challenge again this year is having these boys challenge me to long drive competition. Of the 16 boys on our “young” team this year, 6 of them hit a ball 300-340 yards, me 275-285 on a good day.
The joke is; If you can out-drive Coach Zech, you will play Varsity, need I say more.
Coaching these young men is very fulfilling.
As a busy local residential & commercial Realtor, I look forward to spending my Monday through Thursday afternoons during season, and watching the varsity players get in their golf groove, work out the kinks and prepare for competition.
Each individual has his own unique way of preparing, refining and competing and guess what? It’s the perfect storm every year as Aptos continues to dominate high school boys golf in the Santa Cruz County Athletic League.
My final words this year are: “Whew, I only grew a few more gray hairs and the good news is, I have the same winning group of boys back next year as seniors & juniors.”
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First Team All League
- Ben Nowark, Aptos
- Shawn Rochelle, Aptos
- Ian Holbert, Harbor
- Colton Duerson, Scotts Valley
- James Dahlen, San Lorenzo Valley
- Luke English, Soquel
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Second Team All League
- Luke Garvey, Aptos
- Andrew Cox, Aptos
- Tyler Grosdidier, Aptos
- Jason Tucker, Harbor
- Nash Campbell, Harbor
- Isaiah Ruckman, Santa Cruz
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Honorable Mention
- Colby Culbertson and Mason Bloom, Aptos
- Makai Breiter and Kaito Levy, Harbor
- Ryan Niizawa and Cole Johnson, Soquel
- Carter Ziep and Will Jackson, Scotts Valley
- Kennan Buntz and Connor Scarborough, San Lorenzo Valley
- Cliff Chestnut and Roman Minasian, Santa Cruz
•••
- Coach of the Year: Paul Zech, Aptos High
- League champions: Aptos, 10-0
- League MVP: Matthew Munro, Harbor
- Individual league champion: Matthew Munro, Harbor, 77 at Delaveaga
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Aptos High Golf Team at Seascape Golf Club Photo
Back row (from left): Head Coach Paul Zech, Justin Rifkind, junior, Ben Nowark, sophomore, Luke Garvey, junior., Shawn Roschelle, junior, Tyler Grosdidier, junior, Andrew Cox, junior, JV Coach Jesse Cox, and JV Coach Brad King.
Front row (from left): Colby Culbertson, sophomore, Mason Ronzano, sophomore, Charlie Cox, freshman, Mason Bloom, sophomore, Zachery Giuffre, sophomore, William Byers, sophomore, Leland Blankenship, sophomore, William Bartch, sophomore, Francisco Smith, sophomore, and Finley Patterson, freshman. Missing: Alistair Perkins