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Members of the Woodstock boys’ golf team recently took part in a community service day, helping with the clean up from the winter at the Woodstock Golf Course. Photos by Marc Allard/Woodstock Academy.
Donny Sousa
Boys’ Golf Preview
Youth will create excitement for Centaurs boys’ golf
Pretty strong for the next few years.
That could be the case for the Woodstock boys’ golf team thanks to an infusion of some youth with talent.
“The sophomores played a lot of golf over the summer and came in with a lot of ability. I’m pretty excited about the youth on this team. I think we will be strong this year and probably for the next few years if this trend continues,” said coach Rich Garceau.
The Centaurs did lose Davis Simpson who placed fifth in the ECC tournament but they do have two of their top players returning. Senior Donny Sousa will lead that returning cast along with junior Logan Rawson.
“Donny and Davis are really different people but they seemed to have a good relationship. I think Donny learned a lot about golf and leadership from Davis and I think he carried that over to the hockey team. He’s definitely carrying it over to the golf team,” Garceau said.
For instance, Garceau was tied up with a coach’s responsibility and the team had volunteered to do a community service day to help clean up the Woodstock Golf Course from some winter work that it had done.
Sousa was in charge of the work detail.
He, like Garceau, likes what he sees on the team.
“We have a lot of returning guys, losing only a couple of key seniors. This year, we’re going to have a really good look at the ECC tournament as well as placing high in the States,” Sousa said. “Davis was a great golfer and taught me a lot since my freshman year. It’s how I got to where I am today. I would not be here as captain if it wasn’t for Davis and I thank him for that a lot. It was tough losing him but we have guys like Logan and Aidan O’Connor who are ready to take his spot.”
Abdullah Choudhry is another junior on the team with Rawson while O’Connor, Alec Nunes and Lucas Thompson are three of the key sophomores.
Nick Sivertsen is the other senior while Brady Hebert is one of the seven freshmen who are out for the team.
But even with players like Sousa, Rawson and O’Connor, there are still doubts.
He has 23 players on his roster to start the season.
In most cases, he doesn’t know what their capabilities are as they are out for the team for the first time and the team hasn’t had the chance to get out on a course anywhere.
Garceau thought the team could have done better last year when it finished 8-8 overall, sixth in the ECC and 14th in the Div. I state tournament.
He thinks this year’s version could eclipse those numbers.
Getting out on the golf course any time soon, however, might be difficult.
For example, the Centaurs quickly moved a match with Fitch, scheduled for April 2 at Quinnatisset, further into the spring.
Woodstock currently has five matches scheduled in April, the first being on April 8 against Ellis Tech at the Harrisville Golf Course.
The other 11 will take place in May.
Even the Centaurs practice and JV course, Woodstock Golf Course, doesn’t look like it will be open any time soon after the removal of trees left behind not only debris on the edges but also some deep ruts in a couple of the fairways.
At least, Sousa and his teammates got to be on the course, outside, to get a taste of what it’s like again.
“It’s a mental thing now; get your mind ready for the game. We can use simulators, which means you are not on the course, but you are working on your swing and trying to get used to your yardage,” Sousa said.
It will be the senior’s last sport season at Woodstock Academy.
“It’s kind of sad, honestly. I will be off to bigger and better things but I’m going to miss this a lot, the guys I’ve met through it, the accomplishments I’ve had and it’s going to be tough to see it all go,” Sousa said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy