The Winthrop High golf team learned the truth of the age old axiom, “Close only counts in horse shoes,†as the Vikings fell shy of qualifying for a state tourney berth by the narrow margin of a 37.5-34.5 loss to Saugus in the final match of the season. The defeat left Winthrop with a 7-9 record, short of the .500 mark needed for tourney qualification.
“Saugus also needed to win in order to qualify for the tourney and they were just a bit better than us on their home course at Cedar Glen,†said WHS head coach Peter Lyons.
Matt Todisco shot his best round of the season, a 38, to defeat his Saugus counterpart in the No. 5 slot, 6-3. Pat Brogan was a winner at No. 2, 5-4, and Stephen Goddard was a big winner at No. 8, 6-3. Adam Lundberg and Mario Pasco halved their matches, 4.5-4.5, at Nos. 4 and 5 respectively.
Also contributing points to the Winthrop scorecard were Jake Rand with 3.5 points at No. 1, Tyler Pettee with two points at No. 6, and Kevin Marley with three points at No. 7.
Winthrop had set up a last-match effort to reach the tourney with a 36.5-35.5 win over Gloucester a few days earlier. Rand won his match, 5-4, shooting a two under par 33 that included a birdie on the last hole, a putt that would prove to be the difference in the match.
Rand represented Winthrop at the Division 3 sectional match held last Monday at the Hillview Golf Club in No. Reading. Jake shot a fine 80 to place 18th out of the field of 91 golfers. The top nine advanced to the state tourney.
Rand and teammate Lundberg competed the following day in the Northeastern Conference Open that was held at the Meadows in Peabody. Jake shot an 81 to finish sixth and was named to the NEC all star team, while Adam finished with a round of 96.