Published October 21, 2020
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
LYNNFIELD — Remember back in the beginning of May when the state’s golf community was pleading with the powers that be to reopen the courses? An online petition was signed by over 42,000 people as even non-golfers wanted a chance to pick up the sport in order to escape a quarantine that was already getting old.
Soon, golf became the first and really only sport throughout the summer that was built for a pandemic.
Golf, socially distant by nature, was never really in question for the fall season like other high school sports. While modifications have changed the game for many of the four fall sports being played, golf is relatively unchanged. The student athletes have masks to wear when heading to the first tee, must maintain a distance of six feet from each other and won’t be signing scorecards – or, of course, shaking hands – but other than that, it’s business as usual at the Pioneers’ home Sagamore Spring Golf Club.
In that environment, Lynnfield is first and foremost just happy to be together on the course again.
“The kids have really enjoyed playing and being a team…from an acceptable social distance of course,” said LHS golf head coach Michael Moresco. “Athletics bring a sliver of a sense of normalcy to all athletes in these trying and unique times.”
The Pioneers are looking for their first win of 2020 as they are currently 0-4. They will play a seven-match regular season. Lynnfield is working to replace six senior starters from last year’s state tournament team. The 2019 Pioneers went 7-4 in Cape Ann League play and were undefeated at Sagamore.
“This is a bit of a reloading year for the program,” said Moresco. “Our most experienced returning varsity golfer had only played in four varsity matches last season. We also have four freshmen on the squad which lends to our inexperience.”
The Pioneers have 15 members on the team. Moresco is constantly shifting the eight-person starting lineup so as to give as much experience as possible to all players.
Lynnfield only has three seniors on the team, including captain Cole Trainor. The two other seniors are Jack Galvin and Dylan Marano. The other captain is junior Alex Sieve.
“I am very fortunate to have two great captains this year in Alex Sieve and Cole Trainor. They have done an outstanding job in organizing captain’s practices before the season as well as serving as a unifying force within a team as large as ours.”
With no state tournaments being held this year, Lynnfield’s goal was always to give varsity reps to those who didn’t have much or any, and continue to work on the fundamentals.
“My goals for this season is to get these golfers as much match experience as possible while continuing to learn how to play the game of golf the correct way,” said Moresco. “I always have high expectations for these golfers both on and off of the golf course and this group hasn’t disappointed me.”
In addition to Sieve, the team features juniors Albert Berquist, Aiden Burke, Brady Cataldo, Ryan Cataldo, Evan Fitzemeyer, Owen Kennedy and Tyler Scoppettuolo.
The four freshmen are Deven Henehan, Gavin Leuci, Nico Kozakis and Owen Mullin.
