The Amherst Regional boys golf team went 12-3 in 2018, but fell short of its own expectations in the postseason, finishing eighth at the Western Massachusetts Division 1 championship.
Coming into 2019, the Hurricanes return most of last year’s team and are motivated to improve collectively and individually.
“It was a learning experience,” senior co-captain Evan Rutherford said. “High school golf, it’s the place to be; having fun out here with my friends. Come tournament time I will turn it on.”
The team had three seventh graders in Piet Hartman, Skyler Ferro and Chase Lashway, each of whom were asked to contribute in important situations last year. The eighth graders are talented and with a year of varsity play under their belts, they are poised to make a leap this fall.
Working with juniors and seniors at a young age has proven to be beneficial for the group.
“(The older players) have been in this program longer than I have,” said Hartman. “Since they have that experience, they can guide us through certain events. They give me tips to get rid of nerves. I had success last year and I hope to carry that on this year.”
Rutherford and fellow senior co-captain Eli Kayser-Hirsh have been on several different iterations of a Hurricanes varsity team. In their final season, this year’s team has the potential to do something special.
“My previous three years I feel like we definitely had a ceiling,” Rutherford said. “Freshman year we just hit a spot where we felt we weren’t going to get any better. This year I feel like we will go as far as the players want to go. We can go as far as our five and six guys take us. One, two, three and four we will be consistent. It is really five and six that will be what carries us … Our freshmen year we had an odd team dynamic. This year we feel really like a team.”
The team’s younger players have established a good work ethic this season.
“Freshman and sophomore year I don’t know if we were as motivated, but this year it has been the young guys,” said Kayser-Hirsh. “It’s nice seeing them here almost every day during the summer and working. I think that will lead us to better places.”
Frontier Regional enters this season fresh off a second-place finish at the Western Massachusetts Division 2 championship and an 11th-place showing at the state tournament.
This year’s team will be deep with nine newcomers and 15 returning players. Senior Brian Baumann and junior Michael Corduff return as the team’s co-captains.