SOUTHWICK – Riley Breen bit his nails sitting in the cafe.
The Belchertown boys golf team huddled around the closest table to the TV displaying team scores at The Ranch Golf Club on Tuesday. Their 313 total shot to the top. Every score that rolled in below theirs brought a mix of relief and more anxiety. The Orioles just missed a state tournament berth last season. Every team that shot higher brought them closer to their first Western Massachusetts Division 2 championship since 2016.
Their 313 score stood alone to end the drought at 25 strokes over par.
“We really persevered, especially after that tough loss against Northampton,” Belchertown’s Henry Poissant said, referring to a season-ending defeat to the Blue Devils last week. “That, of course, hurt for the first two days, but coming back to win this proves ourselves.”
Michael Murray led the way in fifth with a 75. The freshman has played No. 1 for the Orioles for most of the season and wasn’t with Belchertown last season when they fell barely short. He closed stronger than he started.
“After the first hole I was like ‘oh my god I’m gonna shoot 120,’” Murray said. “The back nine all came together, finished with a birdie. It was just getting more confident with the greens. Putter got hot for a bit and cooled down.”
Breen tied for seventh right behind him at 77. Poissant fired a 79 to tie for 10th, and Brady Perkins rounded out the scoring with an 82 (T-15th). Belchertown’s Tyler McDonald shot an 87, and Callahan Orzech added an 88.
All six golfers landed in the top 30.
“These guys always had their game face on every time they passed me. I couldn’t tell where they were at,” Belchertown coach Matt Stenuis said.
He tries not to ask the Orioles how they’re doing when they’re mid-round. Stenuis instead figures it out by watching a few shots.
“Then you know,” he said. “They pushed each other all year to be the best.”
They’ll get a chance to prove it at the state level on Oct. 25 at Maplegate Country Club in Bellingham. No member of the Orioles has played in a state tournament, but they’ll spend the next week redoubling their focus on a state championship. Belchertown will make the wait harder than playing 18 holes.
“Nothing changes,” Poissant said. “This is one win, you gotta get another.”
Pope Francis placed second (319), and St. Bernard’s was third (323) to earn the other two state tournament berths. Belchertown native Zachary Buffone shot a 79 for the Cardinals.
Hampshire was eighth (355) led by Levi Zielinski’s 84. Pryden Messier had an 88, Brayden Fennessey a 91 and Camden Jarosz a 92.
South Hadley took ninth (356). Austin Deren turned in an 86 for the Tigers, John Viola an 88, Nick Hartley a 90 and Ryan MacGregor a 92.
Frontier Regional took 13th (379). Ryan Cetto shot an 86, Alex Gochinski a 94, Addy Wood a 96 and Cade Allenby a 103.
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.