It was going to be hard for the Bishop Brady golf team to top last year’s season, but the Giants found a way to do it.
Sophomore Chase Connor topped the leaderboard with a 6-over 76 and junior Mady Savary carded an 80 as the Giants defended their Division III title – and completed a perfect season – on Thursday at the D-III championship at Owl’s Nest Vineyard in Ashland.
Brady finished the regular season with a perfect 23-0 record with Derryfield (25-1) the only real challenger entering Thursday’s round. But thanks to Connor and Savary at the top of the card, and excellent performances further down the lineup, the Giants defended their title with a total score of 333, beating Derryfield by 10 strokes.
Plymouth and Gilford tied for third with 352, with Monadnock (356) and John Stark (357) not far behind to round out the top six teams.
Juniors Luke Bedard (87) and Joseph Rawnsley (90), and senior captain Alex Pelletier (90) were the other scoring competitors for Bishop Brady. Juniors Sean Dunn (91) and Peyton Cone (93) were the other members of the championship squad.
“We have seven really good golfers, we’re lucky to have each and every one of them,” Bishop Brady head coach Jason Bird said. “It’s a really great group of kids… It was really tough conditions, but the kids played tough.”
Despite a dominant regular season, the Giants turned in their worst score of the season when they last played at Owl’s Nest. Winds as high as 25 miles per hour made a tough course even more challenging.
“We knew the conditions were going to be bad, so we were mentally prepared,” Connor said. “It didn’t start great, so it was important to keep a positive mindset. … It feels great (to defend the title). Tough conditions, but we battled through.”
Starting on the second hole, Connor bogeyed to open the round and had a rough stretch in the middle of the course, carding a double bogey on the ninth hole and bogeys on holes 11-14. But Connor settled back in, shooting 1-under over the last five holes to finish the round in a tie with Monadnock junior Garrett Clark.
“He’s consistent,” Bird said of Connor. “He doesn’t get too up or too down. His overall game suited that course.”
Connor and Clark share the lead heading into the second and final round on Saturday to determine the D-III individual state champion. Gilford sophomore Brayden Drew currently sits just one stroke back in third, but Connor is five strokes ahead of the next closest competitors and has the advantage of the final round being played on Bishop Brady’s home course – Beaver Meadow – on Saturday.
The top 16 golfers made the cut for round two. Savary’s score would have qualified, but she already punched her ticket to the girls’ state championship in a qualifying round on Oct. 4, so her 80 was not included on the leaderboard (although it contributed to the team score).
Kearsarge freshman Hazen Weathers (tied eighth, 84) and John Stark sophomore Charlie Pierce (tied 15th, 86) also qualified.
Landon Duclos (87) just missed the cut, while Daniel Brisson (91) and Jackson Reynard (93) also scored for John Stark, who qualified for state championship as a team for the first time since 2021.
Kearsarge’s Isaac Knox also missed the cut by a stroke.
Connor, Savary, Weathers and Pierce have another round to play on Saturday, but the rest of the area D-III players are hanging up their clubs for their year. The Giants will only graduate one senior, captain Pelletier, and are in a prime position for a threepeat should the rest of the roster return.
“It was a great year,” Bird said. “There’s great sportsmanship (in D-III). We’ll miss Alex (Pelletier), but we’re excited for next year.”
Division IV
The D-IV golf championship was also held on Thursday at Newport Country Club, with Hopkinton finishing fourth.
Mascenic (333), White Mountains (340) and Sunapee (343) were the top three teams, with Hopkinton (348), Inter-Lakes (359), Belmont (367), Conant (367) and Hillsboro-Deering (395) rounding out the eight teams that qualified.
Belmont junior Max Ryder was the top individual finisher from the Capital Area, tying for sixth with an 11-over 82.
Hopkinton junior Coley Wells (tied 10th, 84) and sophomore Aidan Clay (tied 12th, 85), Hillsboro-Deering senior Gavin Ford (tied 12th, 85) and Concord Christian senior Connor Faherty (tied 15th, 86) were the other locals who made the cut.
Devin Allen (89), Beckett St. Cyr (90) and Chet Behner (90) were the other scoring golfers for Hopkinton.
Belmont, competing as a team at the D-IV championship for the first time since 2009, were led by Ryder, Ben Girard (89), Alex Rowley (96) and Brayden Pucci (100).
Hillsboro-Deering ended a 10-year drought, competing at the D-IV team championship for the first time since 2015. Ford, Lenny Seymour (100), Cooper Gelinas (101) and Owen Boyle (109) scored for the Hillcats.
Concord Christian’s Demarco Donini (87) was one stroke shy of advancing to Saturday’s second round.
The top 16 golfers from D-IV will also play round two at Beaver Meadow on Saturday to decide the individual title.