BY RYAN O'CONNOR
The 2007 Bow Falcons golf team is a loose bunch, with one eye on the postseason prize and the other on a nearby teammate who’s joking around.
“We take it seriously, but we try to enjoy ourselves,” said head coach Mike Seraikas, who last year watched his team finish on the outside looking in at the season-ending Class I championship tournament, the first time that’s happened in his nine-year tenure.
The Falcons finished this season at 18-7 after splitting the final regular-season match on Friday, Sept. 28, at Overlook Country Club in Hollis. They defeated Pelham, 206-211, but lost to host Hollis-Brookline, which shot 194.
As was the case most of the year, senior Matt Lennon led the Falcons in scoring with a 39.
Lennon, a four-year letterman, has medaled three times this season, including a 34 against Hanover at Claremont on Sept. 19.
“Last year, Matt’s problem was closing,” said Seraikas. “This year, he’s really overcome that. He’s really become a strong player who takes this game very seriously.”
Lennon attributed his recent success to plenty of practice and repetition during the summer.
In addition to his ace, Seraikas said Bow’s other three top golfers give the squad a chance to compete with anyone in the state.
Seniors James Fellows and Brett Borbidge have been consistent all season, as has sophomore Sam Cole, said the coach.
Seniors Dan Achorn and Andrew Knight, sophomores Jake Hughes and Ryan Varney, and freshman Peter Cummings round out the Falcons top nine, and while less consistent than his fearsome foursome, Seraikas said each is capable of putting up a top score on any day and course.
Also representing the Falcons this season are seniors Jack Mulvaney, Jonathan Parker, Matt Raffio, James Richards and Marc Simpson; juniors Corey Johnson and Joseph Pelton; sophomores Gerald Kuenning, Ryan Varney and Connor Whalley; and freshman Ryan Meaney.
Now, Seraikas and the Falcons head to the Class I tournament at Beaver Meadow Golf Course in Concord beginning Thursday, Oct. 4.
“My goal is to come in the top five, but I think we have a shot (to win the tournament),” he said. “You play the whole season to get there, and once you’re there, the regular season has no bearing. So it all comes down to next Thursday and what the kids can do.”
The challenge, according to Seraikas, will be how his student-athletes respond to playing 18 competitive holes instead of a standard nine-hole regular-season match.
“A lot of kids I’ve seen in the past will go out there and have a great 13 holes, then their proverbial wheels fall off. So it should be interesting to see how these kids hold their concentration,” he said.