Cape golf team hopes to repeat success

The Cape Henlopen High School golf team has two goals for the upcoming 2026 season – successfully defend its 2025 Henlopen Conference title and compete in the DIAA State Championship for something better than last year’s fifth-place finish. 

Maybe they can win the states for the first time in school history. It could happen.

The squad is nicely positioned to meet its goals. Among the seven returning players, several have significant varsity experience. The rest could easily fill the shoes of the 2025 graduates. 

This year’s seniors include Ryan McNett, Kingston Davis and Chad Hughey. 

McNett transferred to Cape last year from Illinois and was a multiple medalist during the team’s matches, including a co-medalist finish in the conference championship. His 38.9 stroke average was the team’s lowest and best. McNett finished T-20 in the rain-shortened state championship.

Davis averaged 40.0 strokes per round last year and earned medalist honors three times. His scores counted toward the team total nine of the 10 times he played. Davis also finished T-14 in the states.

Hughey also earned medalist honors last season and finished third among the Cape scorers four times. A late-season injury took him out of qualification for states, but he’s in fine shape now.

Junior Gabby Hamstead contributed toward the team scores in six matches last year while averaging 42.25 strokes per round, including a co-medalist finish in the last regular-season match. She also earned second-team all-state honors as one of the best girls playing this coed sport in 2025.

Sophomore Jack Tunnell had a great freshman year on the Cape team. His 42.09 stroke average in 11 varsity starts led to several contributing scores in the regular season and in postseason play. He finished T-27 in the state championship. 

Senior Cameron Hartstein played on the reserve squad last year. His performance in this year’s tryouts earned him a high spot among the varsity, showing off the significant improvements in his game since last spring. 

Junior Cooper Forcucci also played on the reserve squad last season. He credits his experience last summer as a professional skimboarder as among the reasons he played so well during the recent tryout sessions – along with playing more golf, of course.

Sophomore Ethan James qualified for the initial varsity squad with his two-round scores in the tryouts for new players at American Classic Golf Club and The Rookery. He has played golf for several years.

The tryout process winnowed an initial field of 14 potential new players down to eight for a 15-member team total as practice began in cold weather March 17.

Rehoboth Beach Country Club continued its welcome tradition of hosting the varsity and its home matches, while holding to the eight-golfer limit put in place last year. Continued generous assistance from Baywood Greens and Midway Par 3 gave Cape the opportunity to expand its roster. 

As with last season, there are no guarantees that players will keep their varsity or reserve spots after the first week of matches. The maximum match score process put in place for 2025 should give players opportunities to compete for starting positions or as varsity alternates. Players will likely shift from reserve to varsity, and vice versa, as the season progresses.

The initial reserve group for 2026 included golfers in all grades, including seniors George Becker and Erichson McMahon. Juniors William Greeff and James Murphy are already showing some promise during practice at Baywood. Mitchell DiSabatino joined Mason as the two sophomores to make the team. 

Valentina Turi and Charlie Phoebus qualified for the reserve squad as ninth-graders. Both bring prior athletic experience to the team. Turi played lacrosse and Phoebus played soccer before turning their attention to golf.

The coaching roster remains the same from last year, with Bill Geppert as the head coach. He recently earned Coach of the Year honors as the head coach of the Cape girls’ swim team, which earned a third-place finish in the 2026 state championships. 

Lisa Hutchins is a past club champion at The Rookery and Shawnee Country Club, and a past Player of the Year at Wild Quail. This is her fourth year as an assistant coach for Cape.

Hutchins draws upon her Irish heritage and a keen sense for how incentives work for young golfers. This week, she once again distributed handmade Irish potato candy to an appreciative crowd. This and other canny techniques should help convince the team to accept Hutchins’ advice on chipping, game management and the rules of golf.

Tanya Humes retired last fall as a well-regarded language arts teacher at the high school. She nonetheless returned for her third season as an assistant. Dr. Humes helps with administrative tasks as well as driving the Cape van for the team’s transportation needs.

This is my eighth year as an assistant coach for Cape golf. Hutchins and I work with the entire team to help bring out the best performances.

The recent bad weather and course-access limitations are forcing changes in the match schedule, which as of this writing remain unresolved.