Thornton Academy’s Armand Ouellette chips during a practice this past season. Ouellette has been named the Journal Tribune’s Most Valuable Player for the 2018 golf season. SIENNA BARSTOW/Journal Tribune

SACO — The 2018 Maine Class A Golf Championship couldn’t have started much worse for Thornton Academy junior Armand Ouellette.
The Golden Trojans’ top player found himself in a hole right away as he pounded his drive into trouble and couldn’t get out of his own way through the first three holes.
“I knew I had to get off to a fast start and my first tee shot went in the woods and I was right behind a tree,” Ouellette recalled. “That was a triple right off the start and then followed it up with two bogeys.”
Mt. Ararat junior Caleb Manuel would go on to win the state championship with a 3-under round of 69 — just one stroke ahead of three-time state champ Cole Anderson of Camden Hills.
“When you play that course against that type of (opponents), you have to get off to a good start and I didn’t. I recovered all right from it, but I just knew it wasn’t going to be enough,” said Ouellette.
Like all true champions, Ouellette didn’t fold when he struggled early on at Natanis Golf Course. The TA junior would shoot 3-under the rest of the way and finish with a 2-over round of 74 to finish fourth in the state tournament.
His performance in the state tournament — along with his 36.11 scoring average and 8-0-1 regular season record — were key reasons why Ouellette has earned the Journal Tribune’s Most Valuable Player award for the 2018 season.
“It’s awesome. It’s a great honor,” said Ouellette, who wins the award that former teammate Jordan Laplume earned last year. “I mean (Jordan) is a previous winner and it’s great to keep it at TA.”
One thing that helped Ouellette have a strong 2018 campaign was the arrival of freshman Manuel Barbachano, who has been named the Journal Tribune’s Rookie of the Year.
Barbachano had a 36.43 scoring average and was a perfect 6-0 when playing in the No. 2 spot for the Trojans. The freshman was the low medalist at the SMAA team qualifier with a 75 and also had the top score at the team tournament with a 70.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with, I’m pretty sure. He’s just ridiculous,” said Ouellette of Barbachano, who finished 11th in the state tournament.
The two standouts would push each other to be better this season.
“When one of us would win our match early on, I think it kind of got the other one going because we were competitive against each other all year and in practice, too. We were always trying to beat each other and had little competitions … it was fun,” said Ouellette.
Ouellette enjoyed his new role as a leader for the Trojans in 2018.
“We had a whole new team, we lost 11 seniors and I kind of liked it. It was nice to be able to set the tone for everybody and I thought I was doing a good job,” Ouellette said. “I had other good players to help me and everybody pretty much did what they were supposed to do all year.”
The 2018 MVP has his sights set on an individual championship and some team gold next year.
“I really want to win that … I want to win it as a team too, I think we have a chance,” said Ouellette. “I mean with Manuel, I think he might be coming back. As long as we have me and him, I think we have a chance to win it.”
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 780-9017. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.