Dublin Jerome High School boys golf coach Craig Zesiger has some bad news for his team's opponents.
According to Zesiger, the three-time defending Division I state champion Celtics have better chemistry and more depth than they did a year ago.
"This is the deepest we've been since I've been here," said Zesiger, who is in his fourth season leading the program. "Our top six players can each shoot under par on any given day. This team is definitely the closest-knit group we've had in four years, too. We already have great team chemistry, the kind it usually takes months to develop.
"We're 3-for-3 in terms of winning state championships the last three years and, with the talent we have, we're going to try to make it 4-for-4."
Four players have returned to lead Jerome in senior J.D. Fletcher, juniors Grant Lewis and Adam Stephens and sophomore Jack Herceg. Fletcher has committed to Miami University.
Juniors Cam Solomon and Brett Wheeler round out the lineup.
Last season, Lewis (74 average), Herceg (74.25), 2014 graduate Brady Bohl (76) and Fletcher (76) were first-team all-league, as Jerome finished 27-1 in the OCC-Cardinal Division to capture its 10th league title in as many years. Stephens (78) made second-team all-league.
The Celtics, who have won a league title each year of their existence, finished first (294) in the opening round of the OCC-Cardinal tournament Aug. 7 at Turnberry.
Westerville Central (301) was second, followed by Hilliard Bradley (315), Hilliard Darby (320), Scioto (325), Westerville North (330), Westerville South (342) and Canal Winchester (415).
The second round of league play was Aug. 12 at Clover Valley.
"We've never had this much varsity experience on one team before," Zesiger said. "Jack is going to be our No. 1 player and I wouldn't be surprised to see him average around par for the season. Cam has moved up from being our No. 6 man to our No. 2 position, and J.D., Grant and Adam give us a lot of experience and depth."
Last season, Jerome shot a 641 in the 36-hole, 12-team state tournament at Ohio State's Scarlet Course to finish five strokes ahead of runner-up Pickerington North (646).
Bohl led the Celtics, finishing sixth (157) of 72 players and earning second-team all-state honors along with Stephens, who tied for 10th (160).
Also competing were Lewis (tied for 13th, 161), Herceg (tied for 21st, 165) and Fletcher (27th, 166).
Jerome became the first boys program in Ohio to win the large-school division of the state tournament three years in a row since Columbus Aquinas accomplished the feat from 1953-55.
The state championship was the Celtics' sixth. They also won Division I titles in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2012 and captured the Division II title in 2004.
Jerome is tied with Columbus Academy for second in state titles behind Upper Arlington (16).
Also last year, the Celtics shot a 300 in the 13-team sectional at Granville Golf Course to edge runner-up St. Charles (301) for the championship and won the 12-team district at Apple Valley with a 299, finishing six strokes ahead of runner-up Pickerington North (305).
"Our goals are always to win OCC, sectional, district and state titles, and those haven't changed," Zesiger said. "This team has the potential to defend those titles, but we're going to have to earn it because nothing is going to be handed to us."
