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BY GARY HAWKINS
Staff writer 08/30/2008

Staff writer

Although some central Maine golf teams will contend for postseason honors, the strength this fall lies in individual play.

Defending Class A champion Ryan Gay returns for a final season at Gardiner while defending Class C champ Shawn Keenan is back for his senior year at Carrabec. The Sweet brothers, junior Zack and freshman Seth, will also be strong contenders at the State Individual tournament.

Gay, the two-time defending Class A champion, added to his burgeoning reputation this summer by winning the Maine Amateur at age 17. He recently made a verbal commitment to play next year at the University of New Mexico, one of the top Div. I golf schools in the country.

Although he plays an extensive tournament schedule, Gay does not take the high school season lightly.

"It's just a different kind of golf," he said. "You've got to look at every tournament as motivation."

Gardiner coach Ryan Madore, a former schoolboy champion himself, said Gay is a special player.

"We may never see another Ryan," he said. "He's probably the best golfer this area has seen since Mark Plummer."

Keenan has likewise dedicated himself to tournament play and will be the golfer to beat in Class C.

"He's actually hitting the ball a little longer this year," Carrabec coach Heath Cowan said. "He's come tremendously far the last couple of years."

The Sweet brothers play for Madison, which is also coached by Cowan. This summer, Seth won the 13-14 year old state junior title while Zack captured the Lakewood club championship.

As far as teams go in Class A, Messalonskee returns its entire team, one that went 10-0 in the regular season but failed to qualify for the state tournament by three strokes.

"I think we can be as competitive as we were last year," Messalonskee coach Jim Kerschner said. "Hopefully we can do better at the states."

Skowhegan and Mt. Blue, likewise, return veteran lineups and should be in the thick of the race in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference's Northern Division. Erskine and Lawrence also return several players while Nokomis returns a young team that learned on the course last year.

In the KVAC South, Cony and Gardiner should be among a group of contenders. Led by senior Jake McVety, Cony brings back five players. Last year, the Rams missed qualifying for the state tournament by one stroke.

Gardiner will rely heavily on Gay but does have four other returnees from a team that went 7-2 last season.

"They've come into the season and practiced," Madore said. "I think we're going to have a good team."

Class B

Waterville will be one of the teams to beat in the KVAC's Class B division. The Purple Panthers return everyone from a team that finished sixth in the Class B state tournament last year. Ashton White and Brendan Scully turned in strong summers and give Waterville a good combination at the top of the lineup.

Winslow coach and Natanis pro Dick Browne stepped down after last season with 16 years and a state championship to his credit. Bruce Stafford takes over a team that that returns three solid players in Dustin Lacombe, Josh Herlihy and Ben Sandy. The Black Raiders will be hard-pressed, though, to repeat as KVAC champions and finish third in the state as they did last year.

Mt. View could be a surprise team this fall. The Mustangs return three good players led by Tyler Bantle. If they can get contributions from the fourth and fifth spots, they will be a dangerous team.

Class C

If coach Heath Cowan could combine the Madison and Carrabec teams he coaches, they would contend for state honors. The teams travel, practice and play together but compete separately.

Keenan leads Carrabec but has only three teammates. Zack and Seth Sweet pace Madison and will make the Bulldogs contenders in the Mountain Valley Conference, particularly if their teammates improve over the season.

Led by Andy Emery and Brandon Dupuis, Winthrop returns the nucleus of the team that finished third in Class C last year. First-year coach Lonney Steeves likes what he's seen from Ryan Bushey and Garrett Plossay this summer and thinks the Ramblers could be as good or better than last season.

The MVC has added a stroke play component to its matches this season, by awarding two points in each match for best team score. The other points are earned through match play.

"Now the kids have to finish all the holes," Cowan said.

Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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