PHILADELPHIA – The blistering heat last week only added fuel to the Cahillite’s fire. Roman Catholic secured two league victories at Walnut Lane Golf Club, the first was against Cardinal O’Hara on Wednesday. In their league opener, senior Julian Ciurlino led the way shooting 35 on the afternoon in route to a 233-246 Cahillite victory.
On Friday, Roman Catholic continued their early season success against Father Judge. The teams teed-off around 4:30 p.m. and were eager to get a good start. Both teams have a compact schedule this season, which should give each team the opportunity to fine tune their skills.
“Right now, I’m working on putting,” said Ciurlino. “You can get to the green, but if you can’t putt, it means nothing.”
It seems that putting was not an issue for Ciurlino against the Crusaders. He ended the afternoon with a 35, along with fellow teammate Jeremiah Brown. Junior TJ Durkin also finished strong for the Cahillites, shooting an impressive 37 on the afternoon.
Struggling in the heat, Father Judge just couldn't get anything started. Senior Nolan Dudzek fired a 36, bringing in the only score in the 30’s for the Crusaders. In the video below, Dudzek explained his excitement about the upcoming season and getting the chance to play at a high level.
The past season was definitely an odd one, with some of the teams in the PCL playing in the fall season and some in the spring. What this did was create opportunities for teams to compete. With the return to play this past week, Roman Catholic is trying to prove to the rest of the league that they are a top competitor in the PCL. Father Judge is looking to build off their performances last year and continue growing this year with a young and determined team. Father Judge head coach Dave Smith, who has been working with the program for 14 years, talked about his excitement going into the new season.
"The team is very excited. I mean it feels like the last season just ended. We finished last year with two All-Catholic players one a freshman and one a sophomore," said Smith.
Following their finish last year, Roman Catholic had a few starting players graduate creating an interesting experience this year allowing for the team to change and evolve. Both teams made a point to mention the excellent experience they have had being members of First Tee. The First Tee program has been helping young people in the greater Philadelphia area get access to the game of golf, while seamlessly building the character and inner-strength of its members. The program utilizes locations at both Walnut Lane and John F. Byrne golf courses. Both Father Judge and Roman Catholic have team representatives that take part in the First Tee program. Last October, Ciurlino was selected to represent First Tee at the Mike Quick Celebrity Invitational.
Looking ahead, Roman Catholic will play La Salle at Walnut Lane on Sept. 1 and Father Judge will play Archbishop Ryan on Aug. 31.
Julian Ciurlino talks about his preparation for this season:
Nolan Dudzek talks about his Excitement for this year
Highlights of the Match
(Contact Johnny Murray: jmurr56@hotmail.com for corrections, or share PCL/Inter-Ac golf news & updates)