Cyclones Golf Captures Conference Championship

The South Side High School golf team started its fall season on a down note, losing its first regular season matchup to Garden City. The Cyclones then rattled off nine consecutive victories to earn the Conference V title and qualify for the Nassau County championships in May.

The team went into its final match of the season needing a win against Oceanside to lock up the conference crown. The Cyclones went to Oceanside's home course, Middle Bay Country Club, and beat them on their home turf, 5.5 to 3.5.

The Cyclones will now compete for the county crown in May in a two-day tournament hosted at Bethpage golf course. "We had a pretty strong year," head coach Russ Reid said. "Even if we didn't win [the conference], five of our guys would have qualified for the counties."

Reid said the team posted its best overall team stroke average — 203 — in recent South Side history.

Reid pointed to certain players who excelled throughout the season, especially Sean Byrne, who averaged a stroke average of 36.5 for nine holes, Alex Matos and Casey Cameron, who averaged 38.5 and 39.5, respectively, as well as Chris Mullooly, who averaged a 41.

"We're a good team," Reid said. "I don't think we're the best team, but I think we have a chance to send three or four guys to the states."

To do that, Reid explained, they'll have to shoot an average of 76 over two days of 18 holes at the counties. "Byrnes looks like the most likely candidate to do it, but Matos and Cameron have competed all year. They are definitley capable of it. It just comes down to how well they play at the time."