Wahconah, Lenox Compete in State Championships
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Pope Francis golf team Monday became the first team from the 413 to win a state championship in 16 years, edging Nashoba by two strokes at the Division 2 Championships at Berkshire Hills Country Club.
Pope’s Michael McGrath finished at 1-under-par 71 to tie for first place but lost to Foxborough High School’s Zac Georgantas on the first playoff hole.
Georgantas took medalist honors playing as an individual in the 13-team event.
The Cardinals ended up the top team, the first time a Western Massachusetts team has done so since 2008, when South Hadley won the D1 crown.
Berkshire County Champion and Western Massachusetts runner-up Wahconah had a rough day in its back yard, finishing 22 strokes out of first place and tying for 11th place behind a team-leading 7-over-par 79 from Tim Kaley.
High scores were the order of the day at Berkshire Hills, where the best golfers in Division 2 from around the commonwealth carded far more double bogeys (164) than birdies (120).
Two of those birdies were collected by Wahconah.
Sam McLaughlin, who started his day on No. 3 in the shotgun start, broke par on the 336-yard, par-4 16th hole.
Logan Aitken, who teed off on No. 10, started “his” back nine with a birdie on the 525-yard, par-5 second hole.
“I hit a pretty good drive, and then my approach shot wasn’t all that good,” Aitken said. “I kind of chunked a 4 hybrid, and I had a 7 in. I kind of clubbed up because it was in the rough.
“I put it to probably 10 feet, had a little bender for birdie, but it went in.”
Aitken used the momentum from that hole to post a stronger showing in the second half of his round. After making the turn at 8-over, he finished the day 12-over to score for Wahconah along with Kaley, Kessler Anello and McLaughlin.
“I just figured, nothing to lose at this point,” Aitken said. “Might as well start attacking the pins. I started making more putts. The back was rough for the putting.”
Team Scores
1. Pope Francis, 308
2. Nashoba, 310
3. Westwood, 310
4. Old Rochester, 310
5. Nauset, 316
T-6. Duxbury 321
T-6. Norton, 321
8. Wakefield, 323
9. Masconomet, 325
10. Newburyport, 326
T-11. Tantasqua, 330
T-11. Wahconah, 330 (Tim Kaley 79, Kesler Anello 80, Logan Aitken 84, Sam McLaughlin 87, Carter Drake 89, Dom Marcella 97)
13. Blackstone Valley Regional, 334
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Ayer-Shirley won the Division 3 State Championship Monday at Foxborough Country Club behind a 3-over-par 75 from Reid Ohanesian, who took medalist honors by three strokes over the field.
The Lenox Millionaires finished 11th in the state.
The Western Massachusetts D3 runners-up were led by Oliver Kirby and Brady DiGrigoli, who finished at 91 and 92, respectively.
Competing as an individual, Lee’s Joey Abderhalden carded a 12-over 84 to finish tied for 11th place in the 80-player field.
Team Scores
1. Ayer-Shirley, 311
2. Monomoy, 339
3. Weston, 341
4. St. John Paul II, 347
T-5. Manchester Essex, 348
T-5. Lunenburg, 348
7. Sandwich, 352
8. North Reading, 356
9. Montachusett, 363
10. Maynard, 367
11. Lenox, 388