Irvington HS golf team enjoying impressive season

IRVINGTON, NJ — The Irvington High School golf program is enjoying an impressive season this spring.

Led by head coach Thomas Larranaga, the team finished 7-3. They also qualified for the state sectional tournament at High Bridge Hills Golf Club on Monday, May 9., where they finished in 10th place with a score of 626. 

Larranaga was thrilled to take over the program this spring.

“I came to the Irvington district after four years in Paterson in January,” said Larranaga in an email to the Irvington Herald. “If I told you I saw this opportunity coming, I would be lying to you. As a PE teacher, Dr. (John) Taylor, the athletic director at IHS, is my supervisor, and he’s the best athletic director around. He asked me what sports I was into, and I told him basketball and golf were my two major sports. About a week later, he reached out to me asking if I would be interested in coaching the golf team at IHS. I love the game of golf, and spreading it among the youth is something I’m truly passionate about, so I couldn’t say yes quickly enough. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I knew I was coming in to make a difference and help my players.”

The returning players sparked the team.

“I had three returning players from last year’s team,” Larranaga said. “Tylesa McBean, a senior; Ashley Rodriguez, a junior; and Marilyn Zaruma, a junior as well. These three girls were my core, and they did a great job helping me adjust on the fly. The first day of practice at Galloping Hill (Golf Course), I knew I had a few solid players. Over the past two years, I put a great deal of work into my own golf game, so I knew exactly what I had to do to help my players get to a point where they would be confident enough to get out on the course. I told my players on the first day that I needed two things from them, and if they gave me these two things I knew we would be successful. The first was to be patient and to not get frustrated. Golf is not a game that you pick up quickly, and there are going to be days where you just want to put your clubs down and go home. That’s just part of the grind. Second was to make sure they were at practice every day. Doing so would ensure they would get comfortable with their swings and be able to repeat them every time. They all did this, and I think the results speak for themselves in that aspect.

“After the first few weeks of practice, three students’ progress in particular started to stand out to me. Loundy Paul, a sophomore; Veniel Henderson, a junior; and Gregory Monice, a senior, really started to make some big strides. I would film their swings at the driving range and help them make minor adjustments, and it was really starting to pay off. Our first match of the year was against Barringer, which we did not play well in and lost. I made sure to let my players know that this was only game one, and there was nowhere to go but up from here. From there, we beat Newark East Side to get to 1-1, and then came what I think was the turning point of our season. We had a tri-match against Cedar Grove and Barringer at Montclair Golf Club, one of the older and more prestigious clubs in New Jersey. Before the match, I told the kids that they were getting a treat playing the course they were today, but it wasn’t going to be easy. I showed them around the clubhouse, and they all looked around in awe of how beautiful it was. This was the first time they actually got to experience some of the beautiful places golf could take them, and I think that was where they really bought in and realized how great this game really is. We lost to Cedar Grove and beat Barringer, bringing our record to 2-2. 

“From there, we went on to win five straight matches. We had a few cancellations due to inclement weather, so in reality, our record could be even better than it currently stands at 7-3.” 

Larranaga cited several highlights of the season. Ashley Rodriguez making a par on the final hole to seal the victory against Belleville and the team defeating Barringer to clinch the divisional title were key highlights.

“Another highlight to our season was a trip we took down to Ocean Acres Golf Course during our spring break to play against Southern Regional,” Larranaga said. “Our girls team got the chance to get away for a day, and it really was a great experience. Jeff Reilly, the coach at Southern, is a really great guy. I can’t say enough about the program he’s built down there, and his girls made sure mine had a great time. We lost the match, but I know some great memories were created for my team that day.”

After that, the team defeated Lincoln at Galloping Hill and participated in the Essex County Tournament. 

“I think that was a great experience for my team, not just to get out and play against some of the top talent in Essex County, but also to play a round with 18 holes.” Larranaga said. “We did not fare as well as we could have, but I was proud of my team for making it through the 18-hole marathon.”

Qualifying for the state tournament was another thrill.

“Receiving word later that week from Dr. Taylor that we had qualified for the state tournament is something I will never forget. I was happy for myself, because it showed that all the work I put in with these kids was getting results, but I was even happier for my golfers, because they had some tangible results that proved their hard work had paid off. This is the first time that IHS has qualified for the state tournament in 41 years. That is something that will be immortalized forever, something these kids can come back to in 20 years and show their kids. In my opinion, that’s what high school sports is all about.”

Larranaga sees the program flourishing. 

“I know that golf isn’t exactly a popular sport in Irvington, but the potential this program has is crazy. It all starts at the top, and the administration at IHS has been so supportive. Kevin Williams, the assistant principal at IHS, came to practice regularly not only to support our team, but to have me give him lessons as well. Every day I walk into the gym to pick up my players, there are students, teachers and even security guards asking me when they can come to practice for some lessons. I can’t thank Dr. April Vauss, the superintendent of schools in Irvington, and Dr. Oge Denis, the principal at IHS, enough for their support throughout the season. They allowed me to come in and run this program knowing that I was new to the district, and the trust they placed in me allowed me to have the confidence to lead it to the best of my abilities. I truly love this job, it allows me to be around the game I love and teach my students to play and appreciate it as well. I was blessed with a great group of kids this year, and they deserve all the credit and accolades they are getting. This may be the first time people are hearing about the Irvington golf team, but I can promise you, as long as I’m leading this program, it won’t be the last. We are just getting started, and I will continue to do my best and grow this program into one of the best in Essex County.”

Photo Courtesy of Thomas Larranaga

  Irvington High School golf