Golf: English qualifies for tournament

The English High golf team is riding high today after defeating Peabody, 36?-35?, and qualifying for the state tournament for the first time in many years.”I can’t even speak. It’s just unbelievable. We’re on cloud nine,” English coach Tara Friedman said, adding she believes the last time the team made it to the post-season was 1997.Friedman said she and her assistant, Jim Tidmarsh, had a good feeling from the start about this year’s team.”We thought this was a special team,” she said. “They had the talent. We thought they had the ability to make the tournament. It was one of our goals. We kept pushing all season, reminding them they could do it.”Matt Sencabaugh got things rolling at No. 1 by shooting a 1-under par 36.”He’s struggled a little bit,” Friedman said. “But he saved the best for last. He played fabulous.”Peabody’s Steve Ferrante won at No. 2, 6?-2? and Ted Izzo at No. 3, 5-4. English’s Chris Cole shot a 39 to win at No. 4, 7?-1?. He has now won 11 of his 12 matches this season.English’s Matt Cole won at No. 5, 5?-3? and teammate Bubba Comeau halved his match at six. Peabody took seven and eight, with Zach Bille (6-3) and Nick Jean (5?-3?), respectively. Although English’s Nick Madden and Heather Cummings lost in those two spots, the 6? points they pulled out put the Bulldogs over the top.”They have a much improved team,” Peabody coach Peter Cronin said. “We beat them by the same score at Gannon. Her first four (yesterday) did a great job. They started off strong. I’d like to congratulate her (Friedman). She put a good year together.”With the loss, Peabody (11-4) is out of the running to be co-champs in the NEC, Cronin said.Both teams will play in the Division I North sectional Monday at Renaissance Golf Club in Haverhill.Austin Prep 193, St. Mary’s 175At Mt. Hood, the St. Mary’s golf team will share the Catholic Central League title after dropping its match to the Cougars. A win would have given the Spartans (14-4, 7-2 CCL) the championship outright.”We played the back nine of Mt. Hood for the first time,” St. Mary’s coach Jay Fiste said. “I think we did well scoring 175 points.”Fiste said this was the first time the team finished with 14 wins in his six years as coach.Ryan Borders led the pack with 32 points, followed by Richie McDonald (31); Shawn MacBurnie (28); Emmett O’Shea (24); Max Emmerich (21); Chris McDonald (20) and Kyle Pert (19 points).St. John’s 235, Concord-Carlisle 248At Salem CC in Peabody, the defending Division 1 and 2 state champs locked horns as the Eagles (13-2-1) used even par rounds of 36 from James Turner and Chris Francoeur to pull away from the Patriots.Mark Turner was next best for the Prep at 38. The Eagles host Catholic Memorial today (3) at Kernwood.Saugus 53, Gloucester 19At Cedar Glen, the Sachems (10-9) qualified for the state tournament with the win. Saugus had wins from Joe Ghika at No. 2, 7-2; Nick Dame, No. 3, 7-2; Nick Moore, No. 4, 7?-1?; Brian Birgin, No. 5, 7?-2?; Dave Andrews, No. 6, 5?-3?; Eric Guarino, No. 7, 8-1.