The Concord High golf team may not have had the stuff to win its Division I state tournament, but the Crimson Tide sure had fun on the way to closing it out.
The Tide finished tied for fifth place with Exeter and Dover at the Tuesday’s D-I team final at Canterbury Woods Country Club, ending up 12 strokes behind the now three-time champion Bedford Bulldogs.
The Tide’s team tally of 404 was about average for its top six players across 18 holes; they didn’t overperform or underperform. After finishing sixth in the regular season with a 21-9 record, they were an underdog. It didn’t help that everyone had to play in tough, slick, rainy conditions on Canterbury’s hilly layout.
Seniors Zach Nelson and Sean Mulkerron couldn’t help but turn to each other and laugh with sly smiles on their faces when asked about the Tide’s vibes this season.
“I think they’re pretty goofy, man,” Mulkerron said. “But I thought that brought the team together pretty good, too. I thought they made the season a lot more fun.”
Nelson, who finished as the individual runner-up in the team championship, said it obviously wasn’t the team result they hoped for. He was happy the guys didn’t falter in the rain and still fought for every birdie and par they could get.
He finished at even-par 72 through the 18 holes at Canterbury Woods and booked a spot in the boys’ individual championship on Saturday at Beaver Meadow Golf Course. The Tide’s No. 1 tied with Bishop Guertin sophomore Aaron Ackerman, but Portsmouth’s Grey Gagnon (7-under-par 65) blew them both out of the water.
Nelson knows he’ll have to outpace Gagnon to win that individual title. Even if he doesn’t, he’s still set on qualifying for the New England championships with a top-five finish.
“We’ll see what Grey does, but I’m hoping to capture a win,” Nelson said.
As they sat around a table with Concord coach Mark McDonough, the Crimson Tide golfers watched the scoreboard update as each trio of competitors rolled into the clubhouse. They knew the championship was already out of reach as they dried off. They feasted on French fries and some snacks nevertheless, enjoying the end of a hard-fought season.
After Nelson, Concord’s top five was rounded out by sophomores Garrett Courchaine (10 over), Caden McCormack (10 over) and Blake Campbell (12 over) and senior Mulkerron (12 over).
“In these conditions, I think that’s a win,” McDonough said about his team finishing near their average. “I knew we had to play exceptionally well to beat some of these quality teams with some really good players. Some of the scores were incredible. Super proud of Zach Nelson, once again.”
Concord sophomore Garrett Courchaine looks to sink a putt toward the end of the day in rainy conditions at the D-I State Championship on Oct. 13, 2026. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Crimson Tide senior Sean Mulkerron takes a chunk out of the ground as he swings from a hill, looking to get directly on the green at Canterbury Woods Country Club. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor 
Concord’s Parker Lamb finished tied for 57th at the D-I State Championship at Canterbury Woods. Credit: ALEXANDER RAPP / Monitor
Division II
Also on Tuesday, Bow (21-9) wrapped up its season with the D-II team championship at Bretwood Golf Course in Keene. At 31-over-par 391, the Falcons fell short by a wide margin to a clinical St. Thomas team that shot 9-over 369.
The Falcons showed up to play when it mattered most after finishing the season sixth in the regular-season standings. Senior Jacob Gancarz was the top scorer for Bow at 2-over 74 to place fourth. Three other Falcons — senior Bryce Nichols, juniors Alex Perry and Cavot Blaney — all landed inside the top 20.
Perry had a very strong day, shooting 5 over to tie for 16th. He was just outside the cut line for Saturday’s individual tournament, losing in a tie-breaking playoff.
Nichols and Blaney finished tied for 19th at 7-over 79. Rounding out the group, senior Brady Anderson shot an 82.
“I was really proud of our effort in the D-II championship,” Bow coach Matt Davis said. “Going in, we talked about strategy and trusting ourselves and our games, and our scores proved that the athletes followed their plans. We were able to have a number of scoring opportunities and did a great job of eliminating big numbers from our rounds, which ultimately led to four players breaking 80. I am really proud of our resilience and effort over the course of the past two months.”
John Stark finished in eighth place, led by sophomore Connor Carson, who qualified for the individual championship with a 4-over 76, good for an eight-way tie for ninth.
Sophomore Caden Potter (13 over), senior Landon Duclos (14 over), junior Jackson Reynard (14 over) and senior Daniel Brisson (15 over ) were the Generals’ other scorers.
Concord’s Nelson, Bow’s Gancarz and John Stark’s Carson are the first three Capital area golfers at the boys’ individual championship. Representatives from D-III and D-IV will be known after those team championships are played Thursday.
The boys’ individual tournament will take place on Saturday at Beaver Meadow with a 10 a.m. shotgun start.