Following a stellar year on the course, Salem senior Ethan Doyle has been named the 2020 Item Player of the Year for golf.
Doyle has been an all-star for the Witches each of the last four years, capping off his high school golf career with his best season to date. In a shortened season with 13 matches played, Doyle held a scoring average of 35.5 — which is 1/2 shot over par on his home course of Olde Salem Greens — and had a match-play scoring average of 6.3 points per match. Doyle, who was named Northeastern Conference MVP last season as a junior, shot 2-under 33 four times during the season, and to cap off his season he competed in the National High School Golf Association (NHSGA) Massachusetts Golf Championships at Shaker Hills Country Club in Harvard. With his score of 2-over 74, which put him in a tie for eighth place out of more than 100 golfers, he qualified for the 2021 NHSGA Boys National Invitational. The Boys Invitational — a 3-day, 54-hole stroke play event that includes both team and individual competition — will be played June 28-30 at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C.
Additionally, five players were named to this year’s All-Item team — St. Mary’s junior Aidan Emmerich, St. Mary’s senior Luke Smith, Bishop Fenwick senior Cade Buckley, Swampscott senior Danny DiLisio and St. John’s Prep sophomore Aidan LeBlanc.
Emmerich made a serious run at Player of the Year himself, putting together yet another impressive season for the Spartans. Named Catholic Central League MVP this season, Emmerich’s season consisted of winning the CCL Championship with a tournament record score of 3-under 66 at Hillview Country Club, a program record 42-point performance (where he shot 3-under) in a win over St. Joseph’s Prep and a scoring average of well over 30 points per match.
Smith was Emmerich’s running mate for St. Mary’s this year, and he was very often the highest scoring player on the team if Emmerich wasn’t. A CCL All-Star and a team captain this year, Smith contributed to the Spartans’ CCL Championship victory with his score of 6-over 75.
Buckley was Fenwick’s No. 1 golfer all year long, helping lead the Crusaders to a stellar 12-2 record in a shortened season. A senior captain, Buckley led the Crusaders with a scoring average of more than 30 points per match.
DiLisio led the way for Swampscott in a strong campaign, helping the Big Blue to a 9-2 record. DiLisio, a senior captain, went 8-4-1 over the course of the season for Swampscott, holding a scoring average of 2-over par for the year.
LeBlanc has made a mark in his first two years with the Eagles, earning Catholic Conference All-Star honors as both a freshman and now as a sophomore. The 15-year-old kept a scoring average of right around even-par for the entire season, including putting together a stretch where he shot under par in five straight matches. He also put together an impressive performance at the NHSGA Massachusetts Golf Championships, shooting 2-over 74 to tie for eighth place and earn a place in the Boys National Invitational. And interestingly enough, he wasn’t even the lowest-scoring Prep player that day — fellow Item All-Star Alex Landry tied for third place with an even-par 72.
Also getting named to the Item All-Star team for the 2020 golf season were Peter Pagliuca and Sean Mathers (St. Mary’s); Brandon Bloom, John Bennett, Gavin Belt and Steven Woods (Bishop Fenwick); Ryan Brunet (Peabody); Matt Weed and Ben Weed (Marblehead); Aidan Graciale, Lou Spellios and Nate Stern (Swampscott); Massey Venture (Saugus); Bobby Jellison (Salem); Alex Landry, Brandon Farrin, Terry Manning and Emmet Phelan (St. John’s Prep).
