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04/08/2024 03:06 AMThe Morgan boys’ golf team may not have had the most appealing numbers on paper last spring, but the athletes can certainly look back on the campaign with a profound feeling of community and love for one another.
Head Coach Eric Bergman is entering into his 19th season with the team this year, and he is hopeful that the boys will continue to lead with a sense of unity and always move with the best intentions on the course.
“Last year we did not have a successful season record wise, but I do think that it was a successful season in building program cohesion and interest in the program in general,” said Bergman. “I want to continue the reputation of devout integrity; we always do the right thing. I would like the team to be in the top four; I think that is doable this season.”
Morgan has two senior captains ready to take the lead this year in Jack Nye and Sean Davis. Each of them brings different skill sets to the table that will help their team to success.
“Jack is just by nature a real enthusiastic, a physical type of captain. He has a proven track record in leading in other sports at Morgan,” said Bergman. “Sean is more cerebral; he is better at planning and coming up with ideas. I find that their two leaderships, while contrasting, should complement each other very nicely.”
A year ago, the Huskies finished with a record of 1-9 in the Shoreline Athletic Conference (SLC), placing sixth in the SLC Championship Tournament. Bergman has high hopes that his team can vastly improve from that ranking, primarily due to the exposure the golfers have now had to various circuits across the state.
“These gentlemen will know what to expect,” said Bergman. “For many of them, this is the first real full season playing varsity golf, and there is a learning curve that comes with that. We are going to come into this season knowing fully what to expect. I expect all of the players to see varsity time this season, so there will be no surprises. Many of them played many of the courses that we will play this year.”
With numerous golfers returning to the fold, Bergman expects that Nye, Robert Bergman (junior), and Patrick O’Neil (senior) will be top contributors that have a chance to qualify for the SLC All-Conference teams.
“It all depends on their work ethic, how much time they want to spend on off days practicing,” said Bergman. “Robert can make a run, if not this year, then next. Patrick O’Neil is another one on my radar.”
Because last year’s roster sported a lot of inexperienced golfers, Bergman certainly faced a learning curve with the kids, but it’s one he knows they won’t have to struggle with this spring.
“Having new players they did not know where to cut off some strokes, whether it be an up or the short game,” Bergman said. “One of the reputations of our program is that we have a very strong short game; both putting and chipping. Being able to get up and down, make the four-footer, and five-footer for par, I think that we finally realized that is our bread and butter. If we can keep the ball in play, get up to the green and stay out of trouble, avoid some big holes, and make the best of a bad shot, we will succeed.”
With the first match on the green quickly approaching on Monday, April 15, Bergman is having the team work hard to build dependable golf swings, in addition to a strong short game. Additionally, he wants to see his athletes stack up well against a couple of competitive schools that could prove to be a challenge.
“Hand is a perennial power; they have such strong teams, and it is a great opportunity for us. HK, on the other hand, is a fairly strong Shoreline Conference team, which is a very important match for us,” said Bergman. “We need to get some early wins to build confidence and get through the mental mistakes that come with playing golf. Unfortunately, a lot of the students will be away for spring break. They are going to have to keep their swings fresh even if they are outside of the state or out of the country. A lot of the other schools will face this challenge as well because of spring break.”
Outside of the numbers on the stat sheet and the strokes it takes to win a round of golf, Bergman also hopes the sport can teach the athletes life lessons that they can take off the course, as well, and he wants each golfer to thrive at their own pace.
“I look forward to the camaraderie of the players and opponents, and being a small part of helping to build authentic confidence in young people,” Bergman said. “Most of the golfers I have known for many years. We work hard, again I said integrity and character; what it means to be a young person navigating this world. How do we approach it? What are our goals? Not just on the course, but in life in general.”
Bergman is assisted by Jake Rowe, who is in his first year with the team.
The Huskies full team roster is comprised of seniors Tyler Baldwin, Kolby Clifton, Davis, Jacob Jones, David Mantilla, O’Neil, Nye, juniors Bergman, Nikolas Clados, Luke McComiskey, Patrick O’Donnell, Griffin Ranaudo, sophomores, Jake Beermuender, and freshman Liam Lamouruex, and Robert Winniger.
Huskies Boys’ Golf 2024 Schedule:
Monday April 15: vs. Daniel Hand and Haddam-Killingworth at 3 p.m.
Wednesday April 17: vs Valley Regional at 3 p.m.
Tuesday April 23: vs Cromwell at 2:40 p.m.
Thursday April 25: vs Portland at 2:25 p.m.
Monday April 29: vs Waterford at 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday April 30: vs Fitch and North Branford at 3 p.m.
Wednesday May 1: vs Hale Ray at 3:15 p.m.
Monday May 6: Wildcat Invite at 12:30 p.m. *pending to change start time to 12 p.m.
Tuesday May 7: vs East Hampton at 3 p.m.
Thursday May 9: vs Old Lyme at 3 p.m.
Monday May 13: vs Guilford at 3 p.m.
Tuesday May 14: vs Old Saybrook at 3 p.m.
Wednesday May 15: vs Waterford at 3 p.m.
Thursday May 16: vs Coginchaug at 3 p.m.
Monday May 20: vs Guilford at 2 p.m.
Tuesday May 21: Shoreline Conference Championship at 9 a.m.
Wednesday May 22: vs Branford at 3 p.m.