The 2024 Boys’ Golf season for North Allegheny has been historic. The Tigers set multiple school records during the regular season, such as lowest rounds from a player and lowest team scores, both of which were broken multiple times during the same season. But the team’s success is stretching beyond the regular season, with a WPIAL-best five players making their way to the final round of the league playoffs, which was held on October 1st at one of the hardest courses in the world, Oakmont Country Club. 

Coming through to Oakmont, the five NA golfers — Chris Hoffman, Ravi Desai, Preston Troiano, Colin Ward, and Liam Cooper — carried a host of expectations and doubts alongside their clubs. Knowing they were in for possibly the biggest rounds of their lives, the group expressed confidence in their craft. 

“Expectations are obviously going to be high, playing at a course famous for such excellence,” Troiano said before the round. “I’m excited to play, but I’m trying to keep everything simple. Hopefully it’s enough to see myself inside the cut line at the end of the day” 

For Ward, the challenge of playing a round at Oakmont is two-fold.

“The course is going to be set up for not only a physical challenge but a mental challenge as well,” Ward said. “Being able to stay calm and strike the ball well should see me up on the leaderboard and hopefully get a bid to states.”

Unfortunately, Ward and Troiano weren’t able to make it through to states, but Hoffman and Desai were able to go low and secure their spots in the state championship. 

“Being able to compete to win states means the world to me,” said Hoffman, a four-year varsity senior and team captain. “I’ve been a top two player on the team every year since my freshman year and, apart from my sophomore year, I just haven’t been able to get through, I’m excited but ready for the challenge.” 

Hoffman also shared a bit of a secret to his success, as his aggregate score of 77-70 placed him T4 over two rounds at Oakmont and Southpointe CC, the location of the first round of WPIALs.

“The whole goal going into Oakmont was staying focused and making sure I was hitting the ball straight,” Hoffman said. “When I did make mistakes, I made sure to limit the bleeding and not let one thing lead to another.”

While it was not Hoffman’s first trip to the WPIAL finals, Tuesday’s appearance at Oakmont was particularly special to him.

“It was a great feeling to make it as a sophomore, but I’m not sure I belonged then,” he said. “Now, I know I’m supposed to be here, and I want to win.”

Desai was similarly emphatic and energetic when asked about qualifying for states.

“I’m thrilled to be back at states, especially now that I’ll have Chris joining me for this go around,” he said. “My main goal at states is to medal. I finished tied for 14th last year, but I know I’m capable of better, and I just want to have fun and live in this moment.”

NA faces one hurdle when tracking towards a state championship — conference opponent Peters Township, who won states in the previous 2023 season, and the only team in the section believed to be able to keep pace with the North Allegheny top five. 

NA’s attitude heading towards the end of the season may be interpreted as brash or cocky, but the team blocks out any noise and continues to let their scores do the talking. 

As Hoffman said, “Let’s keep rolling.”