OCHS Teams of the 90's
Jeff Michner top Raider golfer of the 90s!
By TOM WILLIAMS
Gazette Staff Writer
His best days as a golfer are undoubtedly ahead of him, but Jeff Michner, entering his junior year at Ocean
City High School, established himself as the top Raider golfer of the 1990s based on what he has already
accomplished as a freshman and sophomore.
Michner was low scorer each of the last two years, including a school-record 38.70 in 1999. It is probably
no coincidence that those were the only two championship seasons for the Raiders since 1988. And
Michner, unlike many of the top golfers who wore the red and white in the past, carded about half of his
scores at the challenging Greate Bay Golf Club in Somers Point. Prior to 1994, OCHS golfers used B.L.
England in Beesley’s Point as their home course.
Michner was not the only golfer to post the low nine-hole average for two straight Raider teams. Keith
Kertz did it in 1991 and 1992. And Scott Wilson in 1994 and 1995. Cris Nelson, Keith Minarik,
Tom Heenan and Bryan Chojnacki were the other four team leaders of the past 10 seasons.
There were other successful golfers over the decade. Tom Jackson, Bruce Noll and Jason Petrella over the
last few seasons. Brent Maurer, Matt Woolley, Rich Hickey, Jason Marshall, Kevin Muller and Kevin
McCann in the mid-1990s. And Mike Perillo, Rich Baum, Steve Crist and Heath McCauley in the early part
of the decade.
Ocean City started the 1990s with three straight losing records but finished with seven straight winners.
The 1999 team finished seventh in the NJSIAA Group 3 sectional tournament, equaling the seventh place
finish of the 1994 team in what was then called District 8.
This year’s team lost a chance to tie a school record for victories in a season (18) when a disqualification
cost them a victory in the final match against Vineland. The 1995 team had tied that school record,
originally set in 1982.
The 1999 Raiders did manage a second straight Division One championship and wins over state champion
Egg Harbor Township, Mainland and Holy Spirit, the three teams that had beaten them in the first half of
the season. The 1998 team also was best in its division.
It should be mentioned, in this review of Raider golf over the last 10 seasons, that two of the key figures in
the sport’s history at Ocean City died this year. Earlier, Ralph Carson, the all-time winner at the school
and coach of consecutive undefeated teams in 1979-80, died. Then, in August, Dave Streaser, who
coached Ocean City’s first three golf teams (1971-73), passed away in Florida.
The 1990s was a good decade for golf at OCHS. And, with players like Michner and sophomore Erik
Mateer – two strong candidates for the next all-decade team – coming back, the success may continue
for any number of seasons.
OCHS Golf in the 90s
Season....Record........Coach....................................Low Average
1990........5-13............Matt Oster..............................Cris Nelson 45.21
1991........5-14............Matt Oster..............................Keith Kertz 45.00
1992........8-9..............Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Keith Kertz 45.23
1993........11-10..........Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Keith Minarik 46.42
1994........15-6............Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Scott Wilson 44.40
1995........18-4............Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Scott Wilson 40.77
1996........15-7............Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Tom Heenan 42.40
1997........13-7............Pat Dougherty/Erik Ortolf........Bryan Chojnacki 43.70
1998*......13-6............Pat Dougherty/Skip Angello....Jeff Michner 40.40
1999*......17-4............Pat Dougherty/Skip Angello....Jeff Michner 38.70
(*CAL division champions)
The All-90s Raider Golf Team
No. 1.....Jeff Michner
No. 2.....Scott Wilson
No. 3.....Tom Heenan
No. 4.....Jason Petrella
No. 5.....Bryan Chojnacki
No. 6.....Jason Marshall
No. 7.....Brent Maurer
No. 8.....Keith Kertz
No. 9.....Keith Minarik