Saugus girls golf off to states in first-year showing

Saugus golf coach Jeff Mitchell hoped his girls would put in a respectable showing for their first year as a sanctioned team; he never expected they would go to states.Saugus beat Quincy in ten straight matches Wednesday, which qualified it for state competition.”It’s scary how good these girls are,” Mitchell said, who also coaches the boys team. “North Quincy has a nice little program, but obviously not as good as ours.”Mitchell said the entire season has been one of surprises for him.”But it shouldn’t be, because they’ve been playing together for two years now,” he said.Most of the girls on the team began playing together two years ago when Mitchell put together a club team. When more and more girls began showing up on the boys team, Mitchell said it was time to try to put an official girls team together.The School Committee approved the team on the grounds it would be self-sustaining. Mitchell said he expected a dozen girls; he got 22.During his first forays out with the girls, Mitchell said other coaches repeatedly told him not to worry, and that with a little practice the girls would be better next year.”Then they would see them swing,” he said with a smile.He attributes the girls playing to practice, practice, and practice. Not only do the girls hit the greens at Cedar Glen, but Wheelabrator was generous enough to let Mitchell build a driving range on its ash landfill.”I have the girls out here three times in the beginning of the season and twice or at least once a week as the season goes on,” he said. “No one has their own driving range.”Mitchell said his biggest problem now is the fact he can only take six girls to states and he has a solid 12 to choose from.”I’ll take the two seniors and we’ll have a playoff for the other spots,” he said.Ron Sanford, Mitchell’s assistant coach, said at first Mitchell was simply hoping the girls would put in a good showing if they made it to states.”Now he wants to win this thing,” he said.