FINISH WITH FLOURISH
During fall, CMass teams brought home 8 of its 15 state titles for 2023
(Second of two parts)
It was a year to look back fondly on for a multitude of high school sports teams from Central Mass.
For 15, it was a year they’ll always cherish and never forget as they claimed state championships.
Eight of the 15 celebrations came last fall, hopefully a sign of great things to come entering the new year.
So with 2023 in the rearview mirror, we asked each championship coach to reflect on their team’s successful season, be it a defining moment or an allencompassing thought. Here’s what they had to say (teams listed in chronological order):
St. John’s golf
The Pioneers put together a season for the ages.
They posted a 16-1 record, including a 9-1 mark to finish first in the powerful Catholic Conference with their lone loss coming by a point to Xaverian.
Then the Pioneers recorded a threestroke victory at the Central Division 1 sectional before capping off a fabulous fall by topping St. John’s Prep by a whopping 11 strokes to take top honors at the D1 state championships at GreatHorse CC in Hampden.
“I call it a dream season,” said coach Sean Noonan, whose gifted golfers placed second at states last fall and fourth in 2001. “Just so proud of the kids.”
Especially the seven seniors that made up a roster of 13 so deep 10 of the golfers shot par or better at one point during the season.
They were captains Veer Bhasin, Tim Breen, Nic Gebhardt, and Matt Lemay along with classmates Gavin Burke, Robbie Cotter and Curtis McDonald, the latter of whom Noonan praised for playing a “huge role” in the championship run.