HOULTON, Maine — The fall sports season officially began Thursday as Southern Aroostook and Hodgdon met on the golf course in the first match of the year.
In what will be a condensed year, due to the late start of the official sports season, golf teams will basically have two-and-a-half weeks to complete their schedules before the playoffs. The Aroostook League championship is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 5 at Mars Hill Country Club.
Hodgdon golf coach Mike Fleming, right, gives instructions at the start of Thursday’s match with Southern Aroostook at the Houlton Community Golf Course. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
“We were lucky enough to come up with four golfers,” explained veteran Hodgdon coach Mike Fleming. “We had a couple of practices and the good thing with golf is the kids can practice on their own all summer. The kids are looking forward to playing.”
Members of the Hodgdon squad are junior Montana Hoops, sophomore Caleb Tuttle, freshman Joseph Griffin and sophomore Jean Luc Desrosier. Hoops and Desrosier played for Hodgdon last season.
The Southern Aroostook squad features senior Parker Skinner, sophomore Buddy Porter and freshmen Conner Walker and Kolbe MacArthur.
“It was great to get out on the golf course today to compete against another school,” said Porter. “I have golfed a lot this summer, because there were not a lot of other things I could do because of the pandemic.”
Southern Aroostook defeated Hodgdon 8.5 to 0.5 in match play, thanks to solid play from Walker and Skinner, who both shot a 59 on the day. Hoops and Tuttle were the top scorers for Hodgdon as both shot at 62.
Other scores on the day were: MacArthur, 77; Griffin 65; Porter, 62; and Desrosier, 80.
Chipping onto the green is Southern Aroostook’s Kolbe MacArthur during a Thursday afternoon match against Hodgdon at the Houlton Community Golf Course. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
“The kids are really excited to be golfing,” Southern Aroostook coach Phil Faulkner said. “All four of our kids are also playing soccer. We don’t have a lot of experience, but they are real good kids.”
