It is the headliner, thus far, for six classmates determined to make their final season count.
“They’ve been waiting for three years. It’s their time to shine, to not be intimidated,” said Stoddard.
Those seniors have been playing together since their freshman or sophomore year.
“It’s really nice because we all know each other so well, which is definitely really an advantage for us,” senior Matt Murray said.
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Not to be outdone, Murray recorded a 4-under-par 32 in the Westwood match, nearly breaking the school nine-hole record of 31.
“That was a nice culmination of all the years of hard work, tournaments, and practice,” Murray said. “It was a good score to take for the team.”
Stoddard has taken note of the confidence everyone has gained from each other.
“A guy can have an off day and somebody else will step up to it,” Stoddard said.
Stoddard can always rely on senior captain Jack Fisher. Through nine matches, Fisher carries a 36.0 scoring average and was the medalist against Bishop Stang on Aug. 28.
“When you see who you’re paired with playing badly, it makes you feel like you have to be better,” Fisher said. “Everyone’s had their days where they’ve gone low and everyone’s been consistent so far.”
Fisher’s duties as a captain go beyond putting in consistent performances.
“I have to keep the vibes up, keep the positivity going,” he said. “One bad round doesn’t mean we’re going to lose the whole day.”
These leadership qualities impact fellow captain Kyle Leahy, as well as the younger members of the team.
“The leadership makes a significant difference and it’s really motivating to play alongside them as we try to keep our momentum going,” Leahy said.
As the seniors eyed their final run, they also looked at the future. In the summer, Fisher, Leahy, and senior captain Keegan Artz organized workouts to get younger players varsity reps.
“Having them come out, practice with us and adjust to the varsity level is really going to help the team out in the future,” Fisher said.
Stoddard points to sophomore Jack Sutliffe, who averages 38 and maintains his calm in difficult matches.
“They’re all really good and really talented and our best advice to them would just be to keep up the tournament play and keep just maximizing those pressurized situations,” Murray said.
Last fall, Duxbury finished third in the Division 2 South sectional, then tied Norton for sixth in the state final.
The Dragons are determined to make another run.
The team has a difficult schedule to close out the regular season. On Sept. 25, the Dragons take on Scituate, which sits in first place in the Fisher division of the Patriot League.
“We have to tell each other that we’ve all put the hard work in and it’s going to pay off,” Murray said. “We have to make sure we’re playing our best until the last two tournaments.”
▪ Paced by Mackinley Garcia and Gavin Walsh, Bishop Feehan sits atop a strong Catholic Central at 4-1, with a 2-0 mark in league play.
Garcia, a senior, has 100 points during the Shamrocks’ three-match win streak. Walsh has 76 over the past two matches, including a 3-under-par 33 for 42 points against Archbishop Williams at Heather Hill on Friday.
“It’s been awesome,” said second-year coach Jared Tise. “I have nine seniors on my team, but a couple of freshmen that have played. They have those leadership guys I can put them with to get through it and feel comfortable.”
The Shamrocks’ lone loss was a 237-219 stroke-play defeat against reigning Division 1 champion St. John’s Shrewsbury, with the second leg of a home-and-home at the end of the month, as well as a date with BC High this week.
“We tried to get more competitive [this season],” Tise said. “It’s not only playing the better teams, but it’s gauging what we need to do in order to advance in the state tournament.”
▪ Newburyport has started off 4-0, with all but one of its wins decided by double-digit points in Stableford format. The Clippers sit comfortably atop the Cape Ann League at 3-0 in league play.
The junior class has been leading the way, with Braeden Aussant, Gavin Goich, and Jack Oreal each pacing the team in at least one match.
Goich, who placed third in Division 2, has finished as the leading scorer or runner-up in three out of four matches. Oreal led the team in scoring twice.
After a third-place finish at the Division 2 North sectional, but a disappointing 10th at the state meet, this year’s team has plans to make some noise in October.
Bailey Reynolds can be reached at bailey.reynolds@globe.com.
