By Matt Stout
Staff Writer

Derryfield sophomore Justin Eldridge of Bedford tees off during his round of 86 at the Class M-S tourney. (Bedford Bulletin/Matt Stout)

For four-time defending champions, it turns out “down years” aren’t so down.

With four sophomores and two freshmen helping to fill its eight-man lineup, the Derryfield School boys golf team didn’t claim its fifth straight Class M-S team title Thursday, Oct. 5, at Pheasant Ridge Golf Club. But it still played among the state’s best, finishing fourth with a total score of 427.

Senior Ralph Wunderl, one of several Bedford natives on the team, said the team’s goal was top three. But Derryfield wasn’t too broken up finishing seven strokes back of third-place Mascenic and 11 back of champion Newport.

Sophomore Ryan Petit of Bedford and Ben Lamont, a senior, led the team with scores of 83 and 85, respectively, on the par-70 course. Wunderl and Bedford sophomore Justin Eldridge tied for third with an 86, while freshman Sam Cole of Bow rounded out the top five with an 87.

Petit and Lamont both advanced to the second day of play to compete for the individual championship, where they shot 88 and 91, respectively.

Sophomore Matt McCormick of Candia, Bedford’s Chris Dupuis, a sophomore, and Brendan Dobbin, a freshman, also competed for coach Dudley Cotton in the team tournament.

“This year we had to work a lot, while last year it was a little more playful, a little more fun,” said Wunder. Dupuis and Wunder represented the only returning varsity players.

“We actually had to decide who would play the states because we had a couple freshmen who were kind of (shooting) the same,” added Wunder. “And most of our kids hadn’t even played 18 holes ­ they had only played nine holes.”

Wunderl, usually the team’s No. 1 golfer, put it on himself that his team finished out of the top three. He was 3-over after eight holes en route to his goal of breaking 80 but ran into trouble on hole No. 7 when his drive found the woods. He finished with an eight on the par four.

“It kind of put me in a bad mood, and I didn’t too well after that,” Wunderl said.