Jesuit Men’s Golf has won the Metro League title 18 years in a row, and 26 of the last 27, dating all the way back to the 20th century. They’ve also racked on ten state championships since 1996. They are the most accomplished golf school in the 6A division of Oregon, but this year, it hasn’t come easy.
Losing 3 seniors off of their state championship squad last year, Jesuit has depended upon underclassmen to “rise to the moment,” as second year coach Mr. Matthew Schulte said. Along with losing talent, both Westview and Mountainside are becoming more competitive and a threat to the Saders.
The team kept seniors Jack Harrington and Joseph Ulrich, who have both played varsity all four years at Jesuit. They are both on track to be 1st Team All-Metro by the end of the year. As for the underclassmen, sophomores Will Burke and Cameron Fagan have become the 3 and 4, white junior Athan Kaady has come along nicely at the 5 spot.
“Obviously we had a great team last year. Losing some teammates as well as brothers hurts, but I still feel like our good golf is good enough to beat anybody in this state,” Joseph Ulrich said.
The Crusaders started the year off poorly, and it took some of the newcomers a couple weeks to get settled into playing at a higher stage. They shot back to back 319’s at the Canby Invitational and the first Metro event at Quail Valley, where they won a state championship last season.
“For me I was really excited to get the chance to play on a team that has been so competitive, I struggled at the beginning but have become a better player throughout the season,” Will Burke said.
Despite the opening struggles, Jesuit has improved every match, including some standout individual performances along the way. Harrington has won 3 of the 6 matches individually, along with Ulrich shooting his best score of his high school career, with 71 at Pumpkin Ridge.
“If Jack and I can have better years at state this year, it’s up to the 3 and 4 to come in and put up a good number,” Ulrich said.
Last year, Jesuit won with a 2 day total of 595, and Jesuit shot 295 at Forest Hills this last Monday, the best score the state has seen all year. Lake Oswego, West Linn, and Westview are some of the top squads heading into state this year, which will be held at OGA Golf Course in the middle of May.
Will Burke and Cameron Fagan’s rise to become a legit varsity player has headlined Jesuit’s increasingly good play.
“Last year, we knew what we had as a team. It was pretty clear and everyone was experienced. This year, it’s been fun to navigate challenges and learn along the way with a younger team. It’s fun to see the team find it’s best form right before state. It’d be pretty sweet to win with this team,” Ulrich said.
Jesuit plays on Monday at a familiar course in Portland Golf Club in their last Metro League match, where they will need to finish in the top two of teams to secure their 19th straight year of Metro League dominance.
