For every senior, this is their last shot.
Foxborough senior Zac Georgantas knows that.
He was the Division 2 individual champion last October at Berkshire Hills Country Club last year, the 2024 NEPGA Junior Golfer of the Year, the winner of the Cape Cod National Golf Club High School Invitational, and has committed to play at Providence College.
However, there is one thing he has yet to achieve: a team state title.
“We’re a very good team and we really want to win states. That was a big goal of ours last year and we missed it,” Georgantas said. “So this year, we’re really hungry for it.”
The journey starts Tuesday with the Division 2 South qualifier at the Lebaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville. The path to victory will not be easy, as the golfers will likely face cold and rainy conditions at the sectionals.
“The weather’s not going to be great, so I just need to stay in it and remember that every shot counts,” Georgantas said. “I need to take it one shot at a time and see what happens with the result.”
Teams enter the sectionals with one goal in mind: qualify for the state championship. That means adjusting to playing 18 holes and getting in reps at the host sites.
“The courses we play at are usually pretty short, so there can be some awkward tee shots,” said Weston senior William Goldstein, the Globe’s reigning Division 3 Player of the Year. “It’s important to get to know where the blind spots are, what’s going on with the course, and the positions you want to be in.”
Weston coach Mary O’Brien says the road to winning a fourth consecutive Division 3 North title at Far Corner Golf Course in Boxford starts at the beginning of each season. The key is making sure her golfers are playing 18 holes every day in practice and finishing every hole.
“I think that helps their mind-set to know that this is how golf is played,” said O’Brien, who has guided the Wildcats to 21 straight tournament berths.
Despite the pressure that comes with the postseason, playing 18 holes can provide some relief.
“If you have one bad hole, it’s all right, because you have more time to gain back the strokes that you lost.” Georgantas said.
Head coaches and captains alike work to keep their teams in the best mental headspace, but that becomes increasingly important in these high-stakes situations.
“Since sectionals and states are both 18 holes, it’s a different mentality,” St. John’s Prep junior captain Seamus O’Holleran said. “Everyone has the expectation to be one of the counting scores. We want everyone going into it to be in the best state with their golf and their mental game.”
Defending Division 1 North champion St. John’s Prep took home a win at the Cape Cod National Golf Club High School Invitational on Sept. 21, creating pressure to perform in the sectional at Hillview Golf Course.
“These tournaments end up being a mental battle because the pressure and expectations are a lot higher being a team that has notoriously done well in the past and is coming off an in-season [tournament] win,” O’Holleran said.
O’Holleran has yet to score above 40 in a match this year.
“He brings consistency, he brings leadership, he brings commitment. He came in freshman year and he could have been a captain then,” Prep coach Brian Jasiak said. “I can always count on him to not only shoot a good score, but to support his team.”
If this Eagles team can maintain its composure, Jasiak has high hopes they can achieve a repeat.
“They all know what they’re capable of, so I just have to get them to relax and take it for what it is,” Jasiak said.
▪ Sectional qualifiers, Tuesday – D1 South (Acushnet River Valley, 9 a.m.); D1 Central (Kettlebrook GC, 10 a.m.); D1 West (Ludlow CC 9:30, a.m.); D2 North (Bradford CC, 9:30 a.m.); D2 South (Lebaron Hills CC, 9 a.m.); D2 West (Chicopee CC, 10 a.m.); D3 South (Foxborough CC, 10:30 a.m.); D3 Central (Shining Rock, 10 a.m.)
▪ Sectional qualifiers, Wednesday– D1 North (Hillview GC, 9 a.m.); D2 Central (Heritage CC, 9 a.m.); D3 North (Far Corner GC, 8:30 a.m.); D3 West (Agawam CC, 9 a.m.)
Tee shots
▪ With the close of the regular season Thursday three teams put together impressive unbeaten runs, headlined by Catholic Conference champion Xaverian (16-0), along with South Coast champion Old Rochester (15-0), and Middlesex Freedom champion Wakefield (14-0).
Xaverian finished its season with four wins in four days. Chris Morrow carded a 5-under-par 31 at Brookmeadow against Mansfield, and added an even-par 35 at Wellesley CC against St. John’s (Shrewsbury).
Thomas Constantine went low twice, joined by Michael McCormack and Antonio Cillo, who each picked up co-medalist honors once. The Hawks, last year’s Division 1 runner-up, are seeking their first state championship since 2018.
Old Rochester has compiled unbeaten runs in three of the past four seasons. The Bulldogs last dropped a regular-season match on Oct. 2, 2023, against Bishop Stang. They carded a tournament-record team score of 299 in the South Coast championship at Allendale CC, as August Herbert carded a 2-over 74 as medalist, and Brady Mills, Jack Czerkowicz, and Luke Pierre each shot 75s.
Wakefield finished as Freedom division champions in the Middlesex League Shootout, with Patrick Maloney (71) leading the way.
▪ After weathering an 0-3 start before winning eight of its last nine matches, Barnstable retained the Willowbend Cup at the 68th annual Cape Cod High School Golf Championship. The Red Hawks finished their regular season at 11-7 and defended the Cape’s highest honor. Their No. 1 golfer, Colin Gleason, earned the individual title and the Walter Hewins Trophy for the second straight year.
Correspondent Joe Eachus contributed to this story.
Bailey Reynolds can be reached at bailey.reynolds@globe.com.
