In its 25-year history, the Bow High School golf program has won 10 state titles — including eight in the last 10 years — and has finished as the runner-up four times.
All of that hardware was earned in Division III. Now the Falcons are looking to extend their dynasty in Division II as Bow moves up for the first time.
The Falcons are still eligible to play in D-III. The enrollment cutoff for D-III in NHIAA golf is 719 students; Bow’s enrollment was 630 as of NHIAA’s most recent reclassification, but the Falcons petitioned up as they take flight towards a new challenge.
“(Bow High athletic director) Mike Desilets and I had the discussion, and we both felt like it was the time to move up a division to see what we could do at the D-II level,” said Bow coach Matt Davis, who is entering his seventh year with the Falcons, his sixth as head coach.
With new teams, new opponents, new courses and a new scoring structure to manage, the Falcons will have their work cut out for them. They’re certainly not the favorites to win the state crown as they have been in past years, but they will be competitive. Very competitive.
Davis’ squad boasts “tremendous depth,” possibly more so than in any of his seven years with the program, he said.
“We have depth I haven’t seen yet as the head coach,” Davis said. “I think we could easily have our third- or fourth-best player not score and have our eighth in that scoring role. We have nine or 10 players who could be in the low 40s on any given day. We have a lot of options for scorers.”
All four scorers from last year’s championship team – junior Hunter Duncan (T-7 in D-III last year), senior Cam Evans (T-9), sophomore Owen Webber (T-12) and junior Eli Wikening (T-12) — are back, as are senior Ali Sargent and junior Sean Guerrette.
Duncan finished third individually in D-III as a freshman and competed at the High School Golf National Invitational in Pinehurst, N.C., this past summer, an invitation-only event featuring the best 300 golfers in the country.
Duncan and Guerrette both played in the Mike Ryan Memorial Tournament, “one of the bigger junior events the (New Hampshire Golf Association) runs,” Davis noted, while Webber and Guerrette both played in the Bill Heinz City Championship. Webber finished third overall and carded the best score on the second round of play.
Sophomores Andre Contreras and Mikey Magdziasz and junior Cole Ayers are newcomers in the varsity mix.
“I would say that they are looking forward to seeing what the competition is going to be like (in D-II),” Davis said. “We had some really good talent that we played against last year, especially individually, but they’re excited to see what the next level is like.”
Most of the changes pose challenges, such as new, unfamiliar opponents. The courses, besides Pembroke Pines and, to some degree, Goffstown’s Stonebridge Country Club, are unfamiliar to the Falcons. But some of the changes, such as expanded lineups, work in Bow’s favor and allow the Falcons more chances to flex their depth. Eight golfers per team compete in varsity matches, while the top five score in D-II, as opposed to seven suiting up and four scoring in D-III.
The Falcons will also have regularly scheduled JV matches for the first time, giving more experience to the players a little further down the lineup.
But the move also means a departure from the Stableford scoring of D-III to straightforward stroke play scoring in D-II. That will make course management more important — and mistakes more costly — than in recent years.
“Our goal, two big ones, are no three-putts and no double-bogeys, if we can help it,” Davis said. “In Stableford, if you miss that double bogey, you move on. We’re really starting to stress course management as we play.”
Davis also noted, “It looks like we have the ability to shorten the course through our length. … We’re looking to improve our short game and putting.”
Many area golf teams open their seasons on Wednesday, although the Falcons don’t open until next Tuesday. Bow will play of the familiar greens of its home course — Beaver Meadow — against Goffstown, Pembroke and Trinity.
The team championships in D-I and D-II will be played on Oct. 13, at Bretwood Golf Course and Ridgewood Country Club, respectively. D-III and D-IV will crown team titles on Oct. 11 at Windham Country Club and the Mount Washington Resort.
All individual title rounds will be played on Oct. 15 at Beaver Meadow in Concord.
Previews for the other area high school golf teams are below:
CONCORD
Division: I.
Coach: Mark McDonough (6th year).
Last year: 25-1, third place at states.
Top returners: Gavin Richardson, jr.; Read Merrill, sr.; Jack Shoemaker, jr.; Brett McDonough, jr.
Outlook: The Tide dominated the regular season last year to earn the No. 1 seed for the D-I tournament but graduated eight seniors from that group. Concord does return its most consistent golfer from last year (Richardson) who tied the course record at Concord Country Club this summer and finished fifth individually in D-I last year.
“This season will be one where we will need to grind out every match,” Mark McDonough said. “We have some strong younger players that we hope will contribute this season so we can make our way back to the state tournament again this season.”
Teams to beat: Bedford, Keene, Dover.
PEMBROKE
Division: II.
Coach: Beth Hamilton (13).
Last year: 5-21, did not make tournament.
Top returners: Andrew Chiavaras, sr.; Leo Azevedo, sr.; Landon Pearson, sr.; Colby Pope, jr.; Cam Plumb, jr.
Top newcomers: Evan Purtell, so.; Matt Messina, so.; Owen Stewart, so.
Outlook: “We have a solid starting lineup of returning players,” Hamilton said. “We are always looking to improve our win-loss record and gain a bid to the state team championship.”
Teams to beat: Bow, Windham, Alvirne.
BISHOP BRADY
Division: III.
Coach: Jason Bird (1).
Last year: 4-17, did not make tournament.
Top returners: Chris Grimbilas sr.; Brady Ziegler, sr.; Jack Allen, sr.; Sarah Allen, so.; Parker Lavoie, so.
Top newcomers: Bronson Taylor, jr.
Outlook: The Green Giants didn’t win many matches last year, but they have a strong core of leaders and a new coach eager to improve on last year’s mark.
“Chris Grimbilas, Brady Ziegler and Jack Allen lead an ambitious group of freshmen learning the high school game,” Bird said.
COE-BROWN
Division: III.
Coach: Chris Mowers (5).
Last year: 15-4, seventh at states.
Top returners: Alex Myslinksy, so.; Hunter Demas, jr.; Jack Smith, jr.; Liam Marquette, fr.; Nick Miller, so.; Connor Marquette, jr.
Top newcomers: Liam Marquette, fr.; Lincoln Cross, fr.
Outlook: The Bears had a breakout season in 2021, and many of those pieces are returning.
“We’re excited for this season because five of our seven starters are returning and we have two strong freshman starters,” Mowers said. “Only one player on the team is a senior, so it should be a fun 2-3 years ahead of us.”
JOHN STARK
Division: III.
Coach: Denis Kolehmainen (2).
Last year: 10-10, 10th at states.
Top returners: Luke Boden, so.; Seth Boden, sr.; Vincent Draleaus, sr.; Ethan Guevin, jr.; Caleb Hauptman, jr.; Jackson Lochmandy, so.; Adam Morrissette, sr.; Mason Paquette, so.; Nathan Peters, sr.
Top newcomers: Lucas Arlen, fr.; Bobby Arnold, sr.; Lucas Gagnon, jr.; Dom Massaro, sr.; Donovan Moynihan, fr.; Nathan Peters, sr.; Tobin Prieto, fr.; Jonathan Purdue, sr.; Garrett Werner, fr.
Outlook: The Generals graduated their top five golfers last year and only have two players who competed at last year’s state championship meet.
“Our top seven positions are open, and the boys are trying to position themselves to make the matches,” Kolehmainen said. “Our outlook is to improve throughout the season and battle each match.”
Teams to beat: Coe-Brown, Lebanon, Pelham.
KEARSARGE
Division: III.
Coach: Bubba Williams (6).
Last year: 13-8, ninth at states.
Top returners: Meghan Blood, sr.; Owen Blood, so.; Charlie Reeve, jr.; Ryan Donelan, so.
Top newcomers: Connor Heath, sr.; Andrew Cushing, so.
Outlook: The Cougars are down in numbers but have a top four that can compete with almost any team in the division. Meghan Blood can be one of the top individuals in the division and has plenty of match experience, having started in every contest since her freshman year. Reeve can consistently shoot in the low 40s. Sophomores Owen Blood and Donelan “are both showing marked improvement in the preseason over their freshman year,” Williams said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs. … If everyone stays healthy, look for Kearsarge to upset a few teams this year.”
Teams to beat: Derryfield, Pelham.
CONCORD CHRISTIAN
Division: IV.
Coach: Caleb Holmes (1).
Last year: First-year varsity program.
Top newcomers: Owen Carney, sr.
Outlook: The Kingsmen are competing in golf for the first time and have a roster of 10 players, seven of whom are freshman.
“We have a lot of young players that the coaching staff will be work at developing to have a competitive team in the near future,” Holmes said.
One golfer to keep an eye on now is Carney, who could be in the hunt for medallist honors in several matches.
HILLSBORO-DEERING
Division: IV.
Coach: Brian McGinn (9).
Last year: 4-14, did not make tournament.
Top returners: Liam Green, sr.; Cooper Dean, sr.
Top newcomers: Gavin Ford, fr.; Lennon Seymour, fr.; Colin McGinn, fr.; Gavin Coombs, jr.; Zach Coombs, sr.; Noah Morin, sr.
Outlook: The Hillcats could barely field a team last year but now have a much stronger roster that has doubled in size.
“Hoping for a strong season this year. I would love to see the team make it to the state tournament,” coach McGinn said.
Teams to beat: Hopkinton, Mascenic.
HOPKINTON
Division: IV.
Coach: Dave Chase (7).
Last year: 16-2, fourth at states.
Top returners: Evan Fairneny, sr.; Hal Stokes, sr.; Zach Hopper, jr.; Adam Richter, jr.; Bronson Ammann, so.
Top newcomers: Tate Doolan, so.; Jake Staples, sr.
Outlook: After a couple of competitive years in D-III, the Hawks are back in D-IV where they were the champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2019. Hopkinton was 11 strokes behind D-III champion Bow and just three behind second-place Pelham last year, so the Hawks are aiming to be in the hunt for a D-IV title after NHIAA realignment sent them down.
“Our strengths should be experience with Fairneny, Stokes, Hopper, Richter and Ammann all having tournament experience,” Chase said. “As we know, golf is a crazy game. If we are all playing our best golf on tournament day, we should be in the hunt.”
Teams to beat: Mascenic, Monadnock, Campbell, Littleton, Woodsville.