Wahconah, McCann Tech Take Perfect Records into Sectionals
The two most successful high school golf teams in Berkshire County this fall have been joining forces as they prepare for Tuesday’s sectional championships.
Undefeated McCann Tech and undefeated Wahconah have held a number of scrimmages as they get ready for the Division 3 and Division 2 Western Mass Championships.
Besides the coincidence of having two teams with perfect records in dual matches this fall, one of those teams will try for a sectional title on the other’s home course.
Of course, because the Hornets play in the Bi-County West and not the Berkshire County League, they are not as familiar with Wahconah Country Club as most of the area’s high school golfers.
Fortunately, Wahconah has been available as a playing partner as the teams tune up for Tuesday’s tourneys.
“We played the back nine at Wahconah a week ago against Wahconah,” McCann Tech senior Logan Driscoll said before Thursday’s regular season finale. “And then we play them [Friday] on the front nine at Wahconah. Then Monday, we have our 18-hole practice round.
“It’s a tough course. There are definitely some holes you can take advantage of, especially if you can hit the ball pretty far. You’ve just got to keep the ball in play, mostly. If we can keep the ball in play, I think we can have some pretty good scores next Tuesday.”
It helps to have the perspective of players who know the course well to offer some pointers.
“I was talking to Tim Kaley a lot,” McCann Tech senior John Stack said. “He knows a lot about the course, and he just helped me read putts, where I should lay up and go from there, tee shots and everything.”
Last fall, Kaley carded a 73 to win individual honors and lead Wahconah to a team Western Mass championship at Agawam’s Crestview Country Club.
It will try to defend that title at Taconic Golf Club in a field that includes county rival Mount Greylock. Meanwhile, McCann Tech will have to deal with the likes of Lenox (Western Mass champ in 2021 and '22) and Lee (sectional champ in 2018) in the D3 field. Hoosac Valley's Zach Mongeon will be competing in the D3 meet as an individual. Taconic will be at Chicopee Country Club in the Division 1 Western Mass Championship.
Williams College’s Taconic, recently announced as site of the 2028 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships in Division II, is not exactly an unknown to the high schoolers from Mount Greylock and Wahconah.
“That’s a great course,” Wahconah’s Kaley said shortly after winning the Berkshire Classic last week. “We’ll be very comfortable up there. We’ll practice there all week. I just love that place, it’s awesome.”
Practice made perfect for Wahconah this fall.
And long-time Wahconah coach Pete Terpak credited Kaley for setting the tone for the squad.
One of the most striking if underappreciated moments of the Classic came when Logan Aitken, who played in the first of eight groups at the Country Club of Pittsfield, stepped off the 18th green and walked over to the putting green for a half hour of work while other players finished their rounds.
“I’ve been seeing that all year,” Terpak said. “Even after a five-hour practice, these guys are asking me to go down and hit bunker shots. And it’s easy to coach kids who want to work like that.
“Logan leads the way. Logan, Kessler [Anello], they’re watching Tim do it. And that guy never stops. The leadership from Tim is really paying off for our young guys. They’re really playing well.”