LYNN — The Classical golf team kept its undefeated record intact Monday afternoon, as the Rams battled to a 45 1/2-26 1/2 win over Everett in a Northeastern Conference matchup at Gannon Golf Course. The win puts Classical at 7-0 at just about the halfway point in its season, a spot that coach Jack Morrison is happy with.
“We’re definitely in the ideal situation right now, being undefeated,” said Morrison. “We’ve had a lot of close matches this year where we’ve had to work hard. We could easily be 4-3, but the kids dig down each match and play smart, tough golf to come out with wins.”
Leading the way for the Rams was Brendan Lannon, who shot a 41 and was the low scorer for the match. Kyle McCarthy shot a 42, while Tim Nerich shot a 44. Matt Devin, Brett Bucklin, Daniel Finnegan and Sean Finnegan all won their matches. Owen Downey also earned a win for the Rams, which came in his first career varsity start.
“The guys played well out there today, but there are still things they can all improve on,” Morrison said. “We have to keep doing the little things if we’re going to get to where we want to be this season.”
The Rams led the match from start to finish, thanks in large part to their great start courtesy of Lannon, McCarthy and Nerich. After taking a big lead behind those three, the rest of the Rams squad was able to play solid, relatively stress-free golf.
“We really have to credit our top guys for getting us off to such a great start today, that really helped the rest of the team,” Morrison said.
Now at 7-0 on the year, Classical has put itself firmly in the driver’s seat on a path to a potentially deep run in the state tournament. And while the record may suggest the Rams are firing on all cylinders, Morrison knows that his group still has a lot to work on if it’s going to realize its long-term goals in the state tournament.
“We have to guard against becoming complacent,” Morrison said. “We have to work for everything when we play, and that’s not going to change as we get into tougher opponents and courses. We now have our eyes set on something bigger, and we need to get better if we’re going to reach those goals. We have to do the little things.”
A good way to get better, or at least find a benchmark for where they need to improve, is to play tough teams at tough golf courses. And that is exactly what the Rams will be doing in their match Tuesday, when they go up against perennial powerhouse Hamilton-Wenham at the challenging Myopia Hunt Club.
“This will certainly be a tough test for us, but that’s what we need,” said Morrison. “We have to play up to both our opponent and the course, which will be a challenge. This will certainly be a game where we can find a benchmark for where we are now and what we need to do to get better by the end of the season.”
Classical faces off against Hamilton-Wenham Tuesday (3:30).
