Two years ago, Concord-Carlisle High School's golf team won its first state championship. Heading into this season, with nine seniors from last year's 11-4 squad gone, the Patriots look to keep up their winning tradition with seven returning players and a few newcomers.
"We play eight players in each match and we only have seven returning, so we've got to have some of our returnees who've only seen limited time in the past few years step up," head coach Phil Gibson said. "Those guys have got to establish that they're able to go out and play well under pressure."
Led by three captains – seniors Tommy Bagley and John Steele, and junior Ryan Harris – C-C has its leaders in place to make a run.
Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"I really love the leadership, those three captains have done a fantastic job," Gibson said. "Starting last spring they've done a great job of welcoming the new players, making them feel comfortable and helping them feel good about their games, helping them get better."
Along with the captains, Gibson cites his assistant coaches Drew Giles, Kin Earle and Cato Anderson as having a huge impact. They work individually with the players to make them better.
Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Competing in the Dual County League, one of the state's toughest for golf, the Patriots know they can't afford even the slightest slip up if they want to continue their preeminent play.
Also on the schedule is St. John's Prep, who according to Gibson is one of the top two or three teams in the state, Masconomet, Lexington, Hudson, and Duxbury, the defending Division II state champions.
"For us, every league match is big," Gibson said. "We hope to learn and get better by playing great competition."
The team's greatest strength is its legacy and recently established expectations. The players who were on the state championship team two years ago, even though they might not have competed in critical matches, were around success and saw what it took to reach that level.
The program has recently seen four of its players compete on the collegiate level.
With the loss of nine players, a lot of teams around the league are expecting Concord-Carlisle to tumble, but Gibson doesn't see that as an option.
"When you lose nine kids in high school golf, you can't help but take a step back," he said. "But my expectation is that we're going to compete for a championship at the end of the year."
CONCORD-CARLISLE GOLF
Coach: Phil Gibson
League: Dual County League
Last Year: 11-4 (finished fourth in the state)
Returning Players: Tommy Bagley, senior; John Steele, senior; Ryan Harris, junior; Andrew Wester, junior; Kevin Delehey, junior; Karolyne Shieh, sophomore; Charlie Painter
Keys to Success: Concord-Carlisle lost nine seniors from last year's team – A lot for any sport, but an especially large blow in golf. Gibson believes in order for his team to be successful, the newcomers must step up into their roles and perform.
Match to Watch: Playing in the Dual County League, one of the state's best, C-C looks to have a difficult match almost every time they step on the course. "Every year, at least one and sometimes two of the three state champions come from the Dual County League," Gibson said. "They're all important, especially with a young team trying to get better every day."
Coaches Take: "My expectation is that we're going to compete for championships at the end of the year," Gibson said. "And we'll most certainly be a better golf team in October than we are right now."
