High school golf: Alter boys win fourth straight state championship

The Knights’ dominance continued Tuesday at the NCR Country Club South Course. Rain wiped out the second round, but the Knights did enough Monday in the first round to claim the program’s state-record tying fourth straight championship and No. 8 overall.

Alter shot a team total of 314 to take a two-stroke lead Monday over Delaware Buckeye Valley. The teams were roughly halfway through their rounds Tuesday when the rain got too heavy to continue. About an hour later, the tournament was called with the Knights’ lead at nine strokes. The final results reverted to Monday’s scores only.

“If you would have asked me this before we started, I’d have been more than OK with saying I’m good with one round,” Schuster said. “We were able to increase the lead, so it’s a proof statement.”

The only cost to the Knights was Gochenouer’s pursuit of the individual title, which would have matched the one his brother Davis won in 2022. Gochenouer’s 75 Monday gave him the runner-up medal behind Buckeye Valley’s Sam Reynolds’ 72. However, through eight holes Tuesday, Gochenouer was even par and had surged to a two-shot lead.

“You never know; a lot could have happened,” said Gochenouer, who earned first-team all-state honors. “It is a little annoying, but you can’t do anything about it.”

As it is, the Gochenouers shared two team titles, and combined they have six to go with Davis’ individual title. Andrew also played on Alter’s state championship basketball team two years ago.

“It’s just super special,” Andrew said. “It was great playing with him, and our parents could both come out and watch us. It was just truly an all-together moment, and it was really special.”

Gochenouer, who will play next year at Wright State, didn’t mind playing in the rain.

“It was a little calming, actually, because you couldn’t really overthink stuff,” he said. “You knew what you had to do. And I played better in the rain, so I guess it helped.”

Junior Matthew Kreusch was co-medalist last year at Firestone Country Club in Akron. He shot 79 this year to make second-team all-state and was just as happy.

“In the summer, you’re always playing for yourself, but once you put that Alter uniform on, you’re playing for someone bigger than yourself,” Kreusch said. “All five of us realize that, and that’s very key to why I think we were so successful these past four years.”

The road to success began in 2017 when the Knights began a run of nine straight top-three finishes. After three straight seasons at No. 3, they were runner-up twice. When they won last year they joined nine others that had won three straight titles. Now the Knights are tied with Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (1991-94) and Gahanna Columbus Academy (2018-21).

While players like the Gochenouer brothers and Matthew and T.J. Kreusch, a senior on last year’s team, have been or will soon be four-year starters, it takes many players who improve a lot in high school to have the depth required to win state.

Charlie Anderson played on Alter’s B team as a freshman and decided he wanted to be a part of a state title. After his sophomore year as an alternate, he talked to Schuster about what his final two years could be like. Schuster told him he could be important to the team. That motivated him to play more summer tournaments and work harder than ever to improve.

“Seeing those guys win that first state championship, I really knew that I wanted to be there some day,” said Anderson, who became a two-time state champion and earned second-team all-state. “And it’s pretty special being here right now, especially with all my teammates, just knowing that we did it.”

Senior Lucas Soin, who shot 81, and junior Miles Hein, who shot 90, also elevated their games to become part of a state title team.

“Every year ends and there’s questions — who’s going to step up?” Schuster said. “Every year, they answer that call. It means everything to know that you have a program and a group of kids that really believe in what we want to do every year.”

Schuster is a teacher at Alter and is the constant force in the program. He emphasizes a culture of team goals and camaraderie on and off the golf course.

“That’d be pretty cool just to go out with one last dub with the guys, which would be a dream come true,” Kreusch said. “Wherever I fall individually, that happens, but playing well for the team is what I care about most.”