BRUNSWICK — Thursday wasn’t the most ideal of golf conditions, but that didn’t matter for the Brunswick golf team.
On a day where rain steadily fell, clouds covered the sky, and temperatures hovered in the low 50s, there was hardware up for grabs with a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A title on the line.
But as Messalonskee coach Gene Dumont said before the match; “A little rain never hurt anyone, as long as there’s no soap to go with it.”
In a battle of four teams; Brunswick, Edward Little, Hampden Academy, and Messalonskee, all of whom won their regional titles to get to Thursday’s match, also known as the KVAC A ‘shootout’, it came down to the wire between Brunswick and Messalonskee. In the end, Brunswick took home the Class A conference title by a mere four strokes to earn the automatic bid to the team state championship on Oct. 9 at Natanis Golf Club in Vassalboro.
“What an awesome day,” said Charlie Austin of Brunswick. “We worked for this, now it’s a reality.”
Brunswick beat Mt. Ararat on Monday to earn its spot out of its pod. Hampden Academy outlasted Bangor and Brewer to earn a spot, Edward Little beat Lewiston and Oxford Hills, while Messalonskee downed Mt. Blue to earn theirs.
The winner of Thursday’s shootout was determined by the combined lowest four scores by each team. Brunswick’s low of 174 was good enough to top Hampden’s 178.
Messalonkee’s Jude Lilly putts during the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A Shootout on Thursday at Brunswick Golf Club. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Brandon Bearce of Messalonskee was the low medalist on the day with his 3-over round of 40. Brunswick’s Charlie Austin and Stromick each shot 41, while top Edward Little golfer Conner Turcotte had a 42. Eli Vine paced Hampden with his round of 42.
“It was a big day for us, we wanted to come out here and compete,” said Bearce. “We didn’t get the result that we wanted, but this was a nice way to tune up our skills ahead of next week.”
The up and down conditions of rain and cold certainly played a factor in determining the outcome on Thursday.
“I don’t think it was much of a factor for me personally,” added Bearce. “You can only worry about what you can control on the course, which is what I did today (Thursday).”
Added Stromick: “It was cold and wet, the greens were inconsistent. Just another round of golf in Maine in the fall.”
Brunswick’s Will Farschon hits a shot during the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A Shootout on Thursday at Brunswick Golf Club. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
There were several strong performances on the day, despite the brutal conditions. Jagger Thayer of Hampden shot a 43, while Sam Seekins of Messalonskee finished the par-37 front nine with a score of 44. Garrett Countway of Brunswick shot 45 along with Andrew Lyons of Hampden.
“I’m a bit surprised by the scores,” Brunswick head coach Mike Routhier said. “I thought our guys weren’t going to have their best days but some of them did.”
The three teams who didn’t receive the automatic bid to the team state championship match will have to earn a spot on Oct. 5 in the KVAC individual and team qualifier, also set to take place at Natanis Golf Course.
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