When it convened for the initial time on a Monday morning in August, the Saint Dominic Academy golf team didn’t officially discuss defending its Class C championship.
The Saints didn’t even strike a ball, actually. They spent most of the session talking about respect for one another and respect for the game. Coach Kevin Cullen has long been a believer that when those priorities are in order, the rest will take care of itself.
“Fort Fairfield was second last year and they had everybody back. Houlton had everybody back. I graduated six of my top seven,” Cullen said. “I really didn’t know what to expect this year. I certainly hoped for the kids to have the opportunity to do this. They exceeded all my expectations.”
St. Dom’s didn’t merely repeat and win its fourth state title in seven seasons. The Saints blew away the competition on a windswept Saturday at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro, prevailing over Houlton by a 319 to 342 count.
Senior standout Zack DeBlois overcame a few glitches in his short game to shoot 74, second-best to the sensational 69 carded by Deer Isle-Stonington’s Sam Grindle on the Arrowhead course.
“He actually had a terrible day putting,” Cullen said of DeBlois. “His parents, who followed him around all day, said he missed six birdie putts from eight feet and in. I watched him on 18 miss a par putt from 3½ feet that just lipped out. It tells you how well he was hitting the ball all day.”
But one medalist does not a championship team make.
Enter Mike Richard, who crafted a 79, and John Marcous, who checked in at 80.
“Mike had a great day and John, who is a first-year varsity player this year, was just phenomenal,” Cullen said. “Those were the fifth and sixth-best scores out of everybody.”
Andrew Marcous (86) and Mitch Lorenz (88) rounded out the championship quintet.
Conditions were demanding. Wind gusts consistently topped out between 15 and 20 miles per hour, according to Cullen.
“And the course was super wet from all the rain this week,” he said.
The coach lauded the leadership of DeBlois, who is weighing offers from Nyack (N.Y.) College, Franklin Pierce and Southern New Hampshire.
“There isn’t a person on the team who wouldn’t say he makes them a better player,” Cullen said.
Cullen noted that most of his golfers arrived at St. Dom’s as hockey players, some of them having never picked up a club.
At a team breakfast Saturday, more than one told Cullen that the lifetime activity is now their favorite sport.
“We already practice 3½ hours a day, and then when practice is over they want to keep putting, keep hitting the ball, keep playing more,” Cullen said. “They wanted to play every Saturday, so we went around and played every week at various courses. And they’re all doing this out of their own pockets. It’s what they worked for. I’m just their supervisor. This is all about them.”
All five Saints are qualified for next Saturday’s state individual championship.
Winthrop finished third in the Class C competition with a team score of 351. Taylor Morang had a 78 for the Ramblers’ low round.
In the Class A competition, sixth-place Oxford Hills was the top local school. Mac Kim (78) and Cam Letourneau (80) led the Vikings.
Brandon Dubuc led the way with 83 for Edward Little, which placed 10th out of 12 schools.
Gorham grabbed the Class A crown, dethroning Falmouth.
York retained its Class B title by a 13-shot margin over Maranacook, Leavitt finished eighth, while Oak Hill was 13th in its first-ever state finals appearance.
Mark Hite’s 81 paced the Hornets. Connor Drouin was low man for the Raiders at 98.
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