‘Sneaky Good’ Newtown High School Golf Team Wins Fifth Match In A Row

By Andy Hutchison

New Coach Bill Flood Inherited a mostly inexperienced, young Newtown High School boys’ golf team when he took over this spring. Flood thought a .500 season was an attainable goal, and would have been pleased with a winning record. He also said the team could be “sneaky good,” based on the fact unproven high school-level golfers, including some freshmen, had the chance to work their way into the starting lineup and carry the team.

Six matches into the campaign, four first-time NHS golfers, including a pair of freshmen, have emerged as leading scorers and the Nighthawks are flying high with a 5-1 overall record, and 4-0 mark in South-West Conference play.

Taking aim at a .500 season would be shooting low at this point. “Now I believe that we can compete at the end of the season. I mean we could be in the mix at the end of the season — that’s how good I think we are. We are moving in that direction.”

Flood, general manager and head golf professional at the team’s home course, Rock Ridge Country Club, said the team members have been hard at work both in practice — even in the rain — as well as at clinics at the club. He was especially pleased with his golfers’ cumulative score of 168 in a win over Masuk of Monroe on April 25. His four top scorers all shot 43 or lower at par 35 Rock Ridge course. Then, Newtown shot a 164 in a win over Stratford the next day. The team was led by Rob Marona and Chris Erickson, both of whom shot a 37.

“The attitude on this team is outstanding. They all come looking to compete at a high level,” said Flood, adding that they compete during practice as well.

Speaking of competition within the team, Newtown’s top golfer at the beginning of the season, junior Abbey Doski, has missed the last few matches because of a school trip to China, and will have to play her way back into the lineup, Flood said. Doski stands to make the team even better upon her return either by figuring into the starting lineup or pushing her teammates to better their scores in practice rounds. Doski, who competes with the boys during the regular season because there is no girls’ squad at NHS, battles with the girls in the postseason and is the two-time SWC girls’ tournament champion.

Two freshmen — Brian “Bubba” LeBlanc and Vivek Telda — along with sophomore Erickson and junior Marona (also a newcomer after transferring from Fairfield Prep) have been the top four, whose scores have carried the team in recent matches. That bodes well for not only this year, but for the near future of NHS golf. “I’m really excited because we’re doing this with all underclassmen for the most part,” Flood said.

Flood is not the only one who has been surprised by the team’s early-on success. “I don’t think we expected to be this good. We started out a little slow but everyone started to get less nervous and come out and have fun,” said Marona, whose team lost its first match, at Weston, but has been rolling ever since. “If we stay on the track we’re on, we can definitely make some moves.”

“And all of us can improve,” LeBlanc added. “It’s a great team. I just look forward to practice every day.”