Undefeated Riverhead boys golf team falls in county final four

Two dozen boys’ golf teams made the Suffolk County playoffs. By Monday morning, there were only four remaining. A semifinal matchup was slated to be played at Pine Hills Golf & Country Club in Manorville. No. 4 Riverhead had to face No. 1 Sayville. Tee time was scheduled for 8 a.m. 

It was the third time in six years that Riverhead had made it to the final four. 

“I tell the kids now that we’re no longer the hunter,” Riverhead head golf coach Steve Failla said. “We are the hunted. It’s something that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years now. I guess it’s a good problem to have and a sign of where we’re at as a program.”

Unfortunately, Sayville won the match, 7.5-1.5 (204-213 by total strokes) and later went on to win their first team championship in seven years, defeating Sachem, 8-1.

Riverhead, led by senior Colby Baran, had a terrific run this year. They hadn’t lost a match until Monday morning. In the playoffs, they defeated a perennial powerhouse in Southampton, 6.5-2.5 in the opening match. Baran shot a 3-under par 33 at Cherry Creek Golf Links. Then, showing the depth and promise of the team, Riverhead defeated No. 5 Half Hollow Hills East, 8-1.

“When we played Hills East, it was the first time we won a match that Colby lost,” Failla said. “Usually, if he doesn’t win, the team doesn’t win. So to come out and dominate like we did, I was super proud of the boys.”

But against Sayville, Baran was the only individual winner, and one matchup ended in a tie. 

“I’ve always said it’s the team that’s playing the best golf that day that will win,” Failla said. “Today was Sayville’s day. I thought we have been playing our best golf of the season in the playoffs, but today just wasn’t our day.”

Riverhead was also without their No. 3 golfer Mason Sidik, who was recovering from a procedure and couldn’t get back in time to play against Sayville. But with such a deep roster and constant competition during the season, it was the next man up.

One of those golfers who got an opportunity was Wes Kujawski. After being on varsity as an eighth-grader last year, during a competition in tryouts this season, Kujawski finished 11th on the team and was placed on JV. Now a freshman, Kujawski was the No. 1 on JV all season long. And once the playoffs rolled around, he got his chance again.

“I keep the competition up all year round here,” Failla said. “There’s no free meals on the team. Any spot is constantly up for grabs. Those that work the hardest will get rewarded.”

Every year, at the end of the season, Failla brings JV’s No. 1 golfer up to compete against the team’s No. 5 and No. 6 players in the lineup. A week into the competition, Kujawski had secured the No. 5 spot in the varsity lineup and started for the team in the playoffs.

“Competition is what gets us where we’re at every year,” Failla said. “There’s a reason we find success year in and year out. We’re ready to compete against other teams because we’re used to it every day in practice. The numbers speak for themselves.”

Baran is one of four seniors to play their final team match for Riverhead. His contributions over the five years on varsity will be greatly missed. He’s the only Riverhead golfer in history to make it to the New York State individual championships three times. 

“Anthony Caputo was the first to make it to the states in 2019,” Failla said. “Then Colby pushed that bar forward. All the success we’ve had just encourages the younger generation to golf. There’ll be another to push it even further. Riverhead golf is no longer in the shadows but beaming with pride. The local support we get is unmatched. We’ve got kids working at all the major golf courses in the area, and when I show up there, I’m not only congratulated on the accomplishments of the program but the type of young men we’re producing.”