VASSALBORO – The Gorham and York High golf teams parlayed experience into state team championships Saturday at Natanis Golf Course.
Gorham won Class A for the second time in three years. York repeated in Class B.
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St. Dominic of Auburn won its second straight Class C title, and did it after six of last year’s top seven players graduated.
This was York’s fourth state title overall. St. Dom’s has won four of the last six.
Gorham, a force over the last three seasons, is helped by competing in the tough SMAA. The Rams received an automatic bid to the state tournament as SMAA Central Division champs.
In the state tournament, the top four scorers out of five count toward a team’s score.
The Rams finished with 309, Greely placed second with 314 and Cheverus was third at 316.
Gorham had three players shoot in the 70s: Nathan Roop led with a career-best 73, Spencer LaPierre shot a 76 and Mike Caron a 77 with a last-hole triple bogey. They are all seniors.
“The players made it their ultimate goal to win it this year,” said Gorham Coach Rick Altham. “They were determined from the get-go. Roop had a career round.”
The other countable score for Gorham was an 83 by Andrew Scontras. The fifth member of the team, Brian Rex, shot an 87.
“It’s pretty special winning it all as seniors,” said Roop, who credited par-saving putts and long birdie putts.
“We’ve played several practice rounds up here over the last few years. Knowing the course really helped.”
Although the wind picked up as the day went along, a number of low scores were turned in.
“Two years ago the conditions were a lot worse,” said Caron. “It was rainy, windy and cold. Our coach always tells us to fight through the conditions. This was nothing compared to two years ago. Whenever a team can have three scorers in the 70s, they have a pretty good chance of winning.”
Gorham’s winning total was 20 shots better than two years ago.
“Greely played great,” said Altham. “A 314 is a great score. We just played a little better.”
Kyle Megathlin led Greely with a 74.
All four York scorers shot in the 70s. Kyle Cone led with a 75, followed by Hayden Pate with a 78, and Pete Carley and Luke Claflin with 79s. Morgan Briggs, new to the Wildcats, shot 92.
Maranacook finished second in Class B at 324 and Yarmouth claimed third on a tiebreaker over Camden Hills. Both totaled 332, but the Clippers’ fifth scorer was lower than the Windjammers’ fifth man.
Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth and Sam Grindle of Deer Isle-Stonington had the day’s best scores at 3-under 69s.
Red DeSmith of Yarmouth shot a 1-under 71.
Zack DeBlois paced St. Dom’s to a repeat with a 74, the second- best score in Class C. Other players who counted toward the Saints’ total were Mike Richard with a 79, John Marcous (80) and Andrew Marcous (86).
“Zack DeBlois has been our rock for four years,” said St. Dom’s Coach Kevin Cullen. “Early in the season, the new players on the team were shooting in the mid- to high 40s for nine holes. No one gave us much of a chance to repeat.
“Four of the top five players played on last year’s (junior varsity). They really stepped up for us to get here and again here today. Every Saturday since Labor Day we held practices. Those practices really paid off.”
Houlton was second in Class C at 342. Winthrop was third at 351.
Next Saturday, the state individual championships for boys in classes A, B and C, and the overall state schoolgirl championship will played at Natanis.
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
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