Morse’s Max Owen tees off during a golf match last Wednesday at the Augusta Country Club in Manchester. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

BRUNSWICK—The Maine high school golf season began last week with most schools play a match or two. While weather disrupted some a few matches late last week, most Midcoast area teams were able to play regular season matches before their first day of classes.

Brunswick opened with a victory over Lewiston while Morse split with Lawrence and Maranacook. Mt. Ararat fell to Edward Little. Freeport won a pair of matches versus Fryeburg Academy and Lake Region.

Here’s a look at the Midcoast teams:

Brunswick

The Dragons return with high expectations after going 16-3 and winning the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference last season. Brunswick also finished fifth at the Class A championships. With all their returners back, the Dragons are well-positioned for another strong season.

“(We) keep improving from last season and make a run at the state championship,” said coach Mike Routhier, entering his third season.

Eli Spaulding tees off on the 15th hole during the first round of the Maine Junior Golf Championship earlier this summer at Dutch Elm Golf Course in Arundel. Spaulding led the field at the end of the first round, shooting 5 under. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Austin Stromick returns as the only senior while juniors Charlie Austin, Garrett Countway, Brayden Grant, Ayden Marini and Jacob Scrapchansky also return. Dophomores Ben and Will Farschon also should make big contributions, as well as junior Logan Rossignol.

Freeport

Last year, Freeport qualified for states for the fifth straight season. The Falcons won a state title in 2020. This year’s squad returns one of the top players in the state in Eli Spaulding, along with other experienced golfers.

“(We) hope to qualify for the state tournament again. We have some depth and hopefully we’ll be peaking in October,” said fourth-year coach Jason Ouellette.

The Falcons should be very strong again. Spaulding won the individual Class B title last year, shooting a 68, and was named the Western Maine Conference’s top golfer. He also won the Maine Junior Open this summer for a second straight year.

Dylan Foerster leads a deep group of juniors. Sophomore Terrence Snow hopes to improve, while juniors Reece Perry — a transfer from Yarmouth  — Rylan Siegel, and Ava Stone are the top newcomers to the team. Freshman Gavin Konecki should also contribute. Junior Brielle Hogdkin will lead a foursome of girls’ contenders.

Morse

The Shipbuilders return a number of golfers from a deep roster a year ago. They didn’t win a match but improved greatly throughout the year.

“The improvement was fantastic,” said coach Mike Dutton after last season. “We genuinely had 15 or 16 golfers improve immensely, something we hope we can build on in the near future.”

Dutton said Morse’s first match team score in 2021 was 268. They shot a 211 in their final match, a Class B preliminary loss to Leavitt.

Brunswick’s Austin Stromick lines up a putt during the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A Shootout last season at Brunswick Golf Club. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Returning to the team are Max Owen, Caleb Harvey, Oscar Nelson, Gage Suitter, John Johnston and Tuck Mercer.

With the season underway, Morse split its opener at the Augusta Country Club on Aug. 24, falling to Maranacook and earning a 6½-2½ victory over Lawrence in the tri-match. The team shot a 203.

Johnston and Mercer beat both their opponents while Harvey and Nelson earned a win and a tie, respectively against Lawrence. Johnston was the medalist in the match against the Bulldogs, shooting a 44.

Mt. Ararat

Mt. Ararat will be led by new head coach Aaron Perkins, who is taking over for longtime area coach Gerry Caron.

The Eagles finished seventh in Class A last year and will return a team with mixed experience. Returnees this year are Sam Betz, Isaac Wheeler, Noah Cook and Peter Dube.

Perkins looks at newcomers Kyle Ingalls, Kai Stockford, Sam Koslosky and Andrew Calhoun to add depth.

“This season we’re looking to be competitive in our matches, while improving on our scores day in and day out. The goal is to ultimately play well in the KVAC qualifier and qualify for the state championship tournament.,” he said.