by Ryan Condon
After winning 67.5-40.5 at Dedham Tuesday, golf ended its season with a record of 8-6, according to coach Bob MacDougall.
The team qualified for the State Tournament with a win at home Monday over Norwood, according to MacDougall.
“With the win Monday, we were a little more relaxed because the pressure of qualifying wasn’t there,” he said.
“With the conditions and the way the course was playing, I thought we did a good job battling the entire round.”
The format for the State Tournament is different from that of the regular season, which affects the team’s preparation, MacDougall said. “I told the guys that in the tournament, every stroke counts, so I wanted them to approach this match with that mindset.
“With a practice round Wednesday, along with a practice round at the site of the tournament, I hope that we are in the right frame of mind for the tournament,” he said.
Junior Charlie Goldberg, a captain with seniors Brendan Ryan and Mark Vrahas, said he is confident about the tournament. “If everyone has a pretty good day during the tournament, we could play really well as a team. I am looking forward to a positive finish,” he said.
The squad’s top five slots for the tournament are certain, but the sixth slot is contested, according to Goldberg. “It will be interesting to see if our mostly younger players who are up for the spot can play well under pressure,” he said.
The teams MacDougall expects to be tough to beat in the tournament are St. John’s Prep and Billerica. “They have really strong teams that play well, so that’s always a challenge,” he said.
“I hope that all the guys are in the right frame of mind and play relaxed and with confidence. If we can do that, then I like our chances,” he said.