Beavers earned playoff spot, showed strong depth

The Blackstone Valley Tech golf team battled through a tough schedule with seven underclassmen on the roster, and did well enough to secure a postseason spot this year while setting the stage for the future.

“Our kids fought hard in every match,” said Head Coach Craig Allen. “This was the first year when I had all 12 kids score in at least one match, which was pretty cool.”

Allen won his 100th career match this fall, and said he was appreciative to this team and all the past squads that helped make that milestone happen.

Senior captain Drew Shanahan was one of the team’s most consistent players this fall. He averaged just under 40 per nine-hole match, and earned medalist honors four times. Shanahan scored in 12 of the 13 BVT matches, as did junior Jacob Pitts. Pitts also took home medalist honors twice.

“He took a huge step up this year,” Allen said. “I was very pleased with his game, and I am looking forward to him being a leader next year.”

In addition to Pitts, Allen said he is excited to see the development of his sophomores and freshmen. Sophomore Ben Albert showed promise this season, Allen said. “He earned a spot on the team during tryouts, and he kept improving as the season went on.” 

Fellow sophomore Thomas Kavanaugh played in four matches before a season-ending injury, and should be a lift to the team moving forward. The Beavers also welcomed freshmen Johnathan Huntly and Max Seanson, a pair of southpaw golfers from Hopedale.

“I am hoping they can go out and play and bond together and create a formidable tandem through the next three seasons,” Allen said.

The younger players benefited from the example set by Valley Tech’s five seniors. Tyler Nulty peaked at the end of the season.

“He was one of the guys who the kids were saying needed to play in the tournaments,” Allen said. “He turned his game on in the second half of the season, and he was playing lights out.”

Seniors Colin DeCaire, Nathaniel Nelson, and Chase O’Connell also showed strong leadership this year, Allen said. Nelson and O’Connell were team captains.

“Chase is one of the great ones,” Allen said. “Other coaches would come up to me and say ‘our kids love playing with him.’ That’s a nice compliment to get.”