The Skaneateles High School boys golf team has been a juggernaut in Section III for more

than 50 years. But guided by coach Dick Campbell, those Lakers took their play up several

notches across a decade of excellence between 1982-’92.  During that stretch of particular

brilliance, they compiled a stunning record of 205-12, winning 10 league championships, nine

Section III class titles and three overall Section III crowns. Moreover, those Lakers were

undefeated in five campaigns (including four in a row between 1988-’91) and set a New York

State record of 92 consecutive match-play victories.

 

For their excellence, the Skaneateles boys golf teams from 1982 through 1992 will be

recognized as the 2022 Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame ‘Team of Honor’ at the annual

dinner and induction ceremony. The 35th annual celebration, presented by Pinnacle Employee

Services (PES), will be Friday, November 11th at the Ramada by Wyndham (formerly the Holiday

Inn) in Liverpool at 7pm. In addition to the Team of Honor, seven outstanding individuals will be

inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Class of 2022, including Mel Besdin (basketball), Kevin Collins (cross country), Linda LeMura (basketball), Bill Motto (athletic administration), Latavius Murry (football), Scott Schwedes (football) and Judy Madafferi-Tearney (martial arts).

 

At Skaneateles, Campbell regularly scheduled the powerhouse golf schools such as Fayetteville-Manlius, West Genesee, Liverpool, Auburn, Cazenovia, New Hartford and Cicero-North Syracuse.  His philosophy was to play tough opponents on challenging courses in order to prepare his Lakers for the Section III and New York State post-season tournaments.

 

While only nine Section III golfers qualify each year for the New York State Tournament, Skaneateles still sent a remarkable 14 players to that annual competition over its decade of dominance.

 

Included among the many acclaimed golfers representing Skaneateles High School during this period was Tom Scherrer (a member of the GSSHOF, Class of 2015), who won the New York State High School individual championship in 1988 and ’89.  Later, he would finish second in the U.S. Amateur before playlng seven years on the PGA Tour where he qualified for each of the four majors, won the 2000 Kemper Open, compiled nine Top 10 finishes and earned nearly $3 million in prize money.

 

Jon Doctor would follow Scherrer and win the New York State individual championship in 1990, adding a runner-up finish in ’91.  Both Scherrer and Doctor earned All-State honors four times.

 

Skaneateles, always deep and talented, is the only school in New York State high school golf history to produce three consecutive champions (Scherrer 1988 and ’89; Doctor in ’90). Individual Section III state qualifiers during this amazing run included Scherrer, Doctor, Jay Hosey, Eric Russell, Peter Corrigan and Dan Myers.

 

Considering all of these notable Skaneateles golf achievements, the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame is proud to salute Dick Campbell’s Lakers as its 2022 “Team of Honor.”