BOXFORD — On a blustery day on the challenging course at Far Corner, the St. John’s Prep golf team kept it simple and closed the deal.
The Eagles were especially strong in the second half of this Division 1 North sectional tournament Wednesday, taking the lead late in the afternoon and holding off Catholic Conference rival BC High to claim the team championship with a combined score of 317 (plus-29), three strokes ahead of the runners-up.
Seniors Tripp Hollister and Jack Carew led the way for St. John’s Prep, which automatically qualifies for next Monday’s Division 1 state championship at Haven Country Club in Boylston. Both shot 76 to finish tied for second place, just a single stroke behind medalist Jay Sherwood from BC High.
“We knew it was close coming down the stretch and I didn’t feel like I was playing that well. So my focus was to grind it out and I wound up with two birdies on the last four holes,” said Hollister, who finished with four birdies on the front ‘Fox’ section of the idyllic Far Corner Golf Course.
Playing the first hole later in the afternoon because of staggered starts among the 92 competitors, Carew sunk a putt for eagle that helped put St. John’s Prep in pole position to claim another trophy and MIAA championship banner for their school.
“The coach in my group mentioned that we were in the lead after that, so I kind of knew where we were. But really tried to focus on just playing our game and having the best round possible,” said Carew, who hails from nearby Newbury.
The greens played fast and there were some challenging pin placements around both the front and back sections of the course. Since they have four different home courses, the Eagles excel at adjusting to various conditions on various tracks, something that definitely helped them emerge victorious over 18 holes.
“There were definitely some tough pins to manage, so the strategy was to keep it between the trees and try to make putts,” said Carew.
With the top four golfers scoring in this format, St. John’s Prep saw Jack Moriarty shoot 82 (tied for 16th) and their next three all shoot 83: senior captain Brian Loughlin and sophomores Seamus O’Holleran and A.J. Bodnar.
“The depth has been a strength for us all year, and it definitely was today,” said Eagles coach Vic Satir.
With 14 teams competing, the top three move on to the Division 1 state final. St. John’s Prep never fell of that range and will be joined by BC High and Central Catholic next week.
Hanging on to win the sectional title was a credit to the Prep’s mental acuity and stamina on the course.
“I’m really proud of the way we closed,” said St. John’s coach Brian Jasiak. “Tripp was 2-under over the last few holes, Jack had that late eagle, A.J. hit eight straight pars … the way we re-focus and finish is a big strength. We always preach that over 18 holes, there’s plenty of golf and always time to move up and make up for a mistake.”
The top 10 percent of the field also advances individually. Peabody native James Smith of Malden Catholic made that cut by shooting a 78, tied for sixth.
Beverly’s Will Ryan narrowly missed the line by shooting 80, tied for 13th place. The Panthers also had Anthony Barror tie for 31st (85) with Drew Murphy shooting 87 and their team score landing eighth.
Peabody High’s Tristan Joyce competed as an individual and shot a 92, good for a tie for 61st.
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The Division 2 North sectional held at Brookline Golf Course had several lead changes throughout the day, but when it was all said and done Masconomet junior captain Cole Velardo was alone atop the leaderboard with a 74 to earn the individual sectional title.
The Chieftains will advance to the state championships for the second time in three seasons after finishing tied for second place with former Cape Ann League rival Newburyport, three strokes behind North champion Wakefield.
Velardo was even par on the front nine and finished with three birdies and eight pars among the 18 holes to win the medal.
“We’re ecstatic about Cole’s round,” Chieftains head coach Hector Longo noted. “It was tough out there, cold and windy, and that’s a monster round for him.”
Sophomore Cooper Wassung stepped up with a big-time performance for Masconomet, hovering in the top 10 much of the day and finishing tied for 25th with an 85. Brendan Sheehan also shot 85, with Parker Wassung rounding out Masco’s scoring with an 87.
“Parker was our only senior teeing it up today and he’s been so steady all year. I’m very happy for him, especially,” said Longo. “Brendan also showed a ton of grit. He had seven straight pars to end the day.”
With 92 golfers competing, the top nine with ties move on to Division 2 states as individuals.
That field will include two local golfers as Danvers’ Bryce Clark had an incredible round of 78 to finish fifth and advance. Bishop Fenwick’s Nick McFadden also moves on to the D2 finals next Monday at Berkshire Hills Country Club after carding an 80 and coming in ninth place.
Marblehead tied for seventh among the 14 qualifying teams. The Magicians were led by Greyson Leventhal and Marty Ryan, who each shot 83 and tied for 16th place. Tyler Forbes carded an 86 and Jacob Hershfield shot 87.
Aidan Rotondo of Essex Tech competed individually and shot 84 to tie for 22nd place.