This was a memorable season, as expected.
Cathedral High School’s boys golf team entered the 2022 season with two experienced, talented seniors – a duo that included one of the state’s top golfers. It was a strong team, capable of a postseason run.
The Irish were just that in ’22.
“We’ve had a great season so far,” Irish first-year boys golf coach Ryan Brammer said in mid-May as the Irish prepared for the Indiana High School Athletic Association postseason.
The Irish season as of mid-to-late May included multiple standout moments. They played a competitive schedule, with all varsity matches 18-hole events, and spent the regular season ranked in the Top 10 in the state of Indiana.
They also won the 2022 City Championship.
The Irish, who finished ninth at the 2021 IHSAA state tournament, were led in 2022 by seniors Ryan Ford and Rocco Browning, with Ford excelling as the Irish’s No. 1 golfer throughout the season. He has committed to play at the University of Cincinnati.
“Those two guys led extremely well,” Brammer said.
Brammer called Ford “a difference-maker.”
“Ryan has meant a lot to our program,” Brammer said. “His ability to shoot that 64 or 65 in big matches is always in play. I’m biased, but I do believe he’s the best player in the state, and I bet if you asked all 400 golf coaches in the state, 390 would say the same thing. His ability to go low helps us experience the success we have.”
Brammer also called Ford a “team-first” player.”
“He has so much knowledge and he understands the other guys’ games,” Brammer said. “The other guys don’t hit it as far as he does. He hits it like a professional golfer. But he understands how they play and can be an asset to them.”
The Irish also had a strong group of underclassmen in 2022 including junior Jake Cerar, junior Max McGinley and sophomores Drew Adams and Aiden Storms. Sherrard finished fourth at the City Tournament to earn All-City accolades.
“They have scoring abilities in the 70s if they can play well,” Brammer said of the sophomores. “If they just let it come naturally, they’ll be able to do that. If we press, we don’t do well. If we let things come natural and let others make mistakes around us, we can rocket up the leaderboard.”
The Irish in Brammer’s first season as head coach continued a longstanding approach of playing one of the state’s toughest schedules, an approach that Brammer is designed to prepare them annually to compete for a spot in the IHSAA state tournament. The state tournament in 2022 was scheduled to be held at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., June 14-15, with the Irish hosting the Section 14 tournament at Maple Creek June 3-6.
“We’re hoping everything clicks into position,” Brammer said.
A ’22 highlight for the Irish was a mid-May appearance at the Culver Military Academy Invitational played on the historic Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The Irish won the event with a tournament record 287.
Brammer called the Irish’s schedule “the most competitive in the state.”
“Our schedule is the true essence of a college prep golf schedule,” Brammer said. “We do nothing but 18 holes the entire season – even through the week. On the overnight [weekend] trips, they’re basically golf business trips. They’re looking at yardage books, mapping out strategy.
“They have a Plan A and a Plan B. The vibe is infectious.”
The Irish in April won the Floyd Central Invitational at Valley View Golf Club, then Ford won the Highland Invitational with the Irish finishing fourth as a team. Ford then won the Concordia Lutheran Invitational with a four-under 67 with the Irish shooting 294 that weekend as a team.
The Irish also won the Madison Invitational at Sunrise Golf Club in Madison, Ind., on April 30.
“This has been a great season,” Brammer said. “We played extremely well on the weekends and these guys managed their academics extremely well. They were extremely resilient.”
Brammer also said the Irish program is well-established for the future, with 32 players in the program -including two levels of junior varsity and a developmental program.
“We treat it like A, AA, AAA – like a farm system,” he said. “Those teams are playing full 18-match schedules. The future is bright.”
For updates on the Irish in the postseason, please visit gocathedral.com.
