Coach Bryan Deal has said many times that this year’s golf team is laden with so much talent that almost every player on his varsity lineup is capable of being the day’s top medalist. His words sprang to life in a big way at the recent WPIAL Class AAA championship, during which seniors Amani D’Ambrosio and Matt Mattioli played near perfect games to finish first and second, respectively. They not only were the Foxes’ top players that day, they also were at the top of the leaderboard for the tournament. It was exactly the extra boost the Foxes needed to win the program’s first WPIAL team championship in 13 years. (Six teams and 36 individuals participated at the event.)
While Amani and Matt made significant contributions to the team all year long, they are the kind of solid, consistent players who often times go under the radar. But their work ethic, love for the game and their teammates, commitment, and grit are just as strong as those who might grab the headlines more frequently.
“Both Amani and Matt are our “steady Eddies” who can go both high and low,” says Coach Deal. “They have really stepped up as seniors and played a large role in getting us to where we are today as PIAA Class AAA contenders.”
Amani D’Ambrosio
When Amani tried out for the team as a freshman, he had just started to take golf lessons from a pro, but basically had taught himself the game after shadowing a college golfer. He has come a long way from that start in Arizona to become the top golfer at the WPIAL championship finals.
It’s very rewarding to see how these young men mature from when they are 14 or 15-years-old to when they are seniors,” says Coach Deal. “Amani has always had a passion for the game, and he’s done his due diligence. He’s a great player who can handle the ups and downs of golf, and that’s really important in this game.”
Coach Deal says the key to Amani’s success on the day of the WPIAL finals was his smart, disciplined approach, and his ability to stick to his game plan throughout the day.
Amani says, “I just had a feeling that day that it was going to be a good one. I tried to keep my nerves down by taking it one hole at a time.”
His strategy worked, and in a near perfect performance, he scored a 69, three under par, and played what he says was the best tournament of his life. “I was surprised – very surprised! I remember thinking, ‘I did it!’ I’ve never been in that position to help my team in such an important competition. It was my best round in a tournament ever, but my main thoughts weren’t about me; they were about the team and getting us the win. That’s all I’ve been able to think about.”
He admits there were times when he struggled in the past and just couldn’t figure out why.
“I think it wasn’t my playing so much as it was a matter of my mental game,” says Amani. “I’ve been paying a lot more attention to that. I think the difference this year is that I have more confidence now and trust myself more. Since I’ve been focusing on that, I started to notice over the summer that I’m starting to hit my stride.”
“He’s a grinder and he gives us a lot of stability in the middle of the lineup,” says Coach Deal. “He’s just a fine young man, on and off the course.”
Matt Mattioli
“Matt is really good for our team and has been a solid building block,” says Coach Deal of his three-year varsity player. “The strongest part of his gameis that he just stays to his game plan and is the player I trust the most to think of the team first. He is exactly the kind of player we need. Matt is one of the most upbeat, team-oriented, and driven kids I’ve ever coached in my nine years here. In addition to his talent on the course, we love spirit and positivity he brings to the team.”
A four-year member of the team, Matt has advanced to the WPIAL individual playoffs for the past two years and played many games under par this season. Last year, he advanced to the 2018 individual finals, but this year he failed to make it past the first round.
“I took that hard and have really wanted to redeem myself,” says Matt, who started playing the game when he was 10 years old, and then started to play competitively in ninth grade. “This whole thing (with the team winning the WPIAL title)
has been a hard process, and at times gut-wrenching, starting with the car accident when we were sophomores. WE felt we really had a chance of winning the title that year, and it was such a big disappointment, but it really brought our team together. Then there was the disappointments of coming so close in the past years. Amani and I knew from the start that we had to step it up that day, and we’re just so glad it paid off in our senior year.”
Matt knew that on the day of the tournament, he needed to be his best and get into the zone mentally. He says, “I felt really good that morning, did a full 45-minute warm-up, and was happy with my swing. It hit a bogie on the first hole and thought, ‘that’s alright,’ and just became even more focused. I ended up hitting the ball really well and had 12 consecutive pars that day. It was definitely the most focused I’ve been all year because I knew I had to pull through for the team.”
Matt’s personal goal for the WPIAL finale had been to finish with a 76, but he bettered that with a score of 75, three over par. That put Matt in a three-way tie for second place overall.
The golfer says, “I think I work really well under pressure. There was a big crowd that day and I thrive under those kinds of situations. Honestly, I did not think of my personal score. We all were just so happy and proud. We couldn’t believe we finally did this. Through all of the grind, it’s only brought us closer together. I can say with confidence that there is no other team in the WPIAL that has the kind of relationship we have as teammates. Ours it really a unified team.”
It’s that kind of brotherhood and confidence that the team is relying upon when the start the PIAA Class AAA team playoffs on October 22 in York, Pa.
“This team and these guys mean so much to me,” says Coach Deal. “When you have talent like they have, plus they all are great kids, you can’t ask for more than that. I’m just extremely excited about the opportunity we have ahead of us next week. We are ready. It’s something we all have looked forward to for a long time.”