Cape Tech Boys Golf Clinches Sectionals, Rides Undefeated Streak Deep Into Season

SOUTH DENNIS – Through persistent showers, the Cape Cod Tech boys golf team weaved its way through the raindrops and stayed dry from losses as they extended their undefeated run this season.

Cape Tech defeated Dennis-Yarmouth 253-280 last Wednesday, Sept. 17 to clinch a spot in the Division 3 South Sectional, then won against Diman the following day to improve to 6-0 with four matches left.

At Dennis Pines against Dennis-Yarmouth, a steady rain kicked up soon after groups teed off, but Cape Tech — with sophomore Chris Morin setting the pace — sailed to sectionals-clinching victory. Morin managed the day’s sole score below par at 1-under 35, in what was Cape Tech’s lone match of stroke play this year. Matt Swartz shot a 4-over 40; Brayden Wright, Carter LaFrance and Ethan Woodward shot 8-over 44s; and Mike Shea shot a 10-over 46 in the win for the Crusaders.

The conditions were tough, Morin and Wright, a senior, said.

“You just got to swing,” Morin said. “You just got to try to keep your glove as dry as you can, keep your grips as dry as you can. You've just got to swing a little softer.”

Morin and Wright were the lead pairing among a group that stormed through an undefeated streak extending past the halfway point of the season. The team has combined underclassmen talent (including three freshmen) with a group of returning players who worked hard to improve over the offseason and “stepped up to the challenge,” head coach Kevin Furey said.

“It’s been really fun, and the kids have been super psyched about it,” he said.

This is the second year in a row the Crusaders will play in sectionals after finishing 13th in the 2024 tournament. As a Mayflower Athletic Conference school, all but one of Cape Tech’s rounds on the schedule are match-play competitions, which Morin and Wright pointed to as important to their success given the greater room for error in the format compared to stroke play. 

The team has also utilized a deep lineup to its advantage. Only one match has been decided by a deficit of fewer than three points (a 5-4 win against Upper Cape to open the season). The Crusaders played Upper Cape again on Wednesday (after The Chronicle’s deadline). 

“The depth we have one to six really keeps us in a lot of matches,” Furey said.

Last week against Dennis-Yarmouth, the rain soaked the golfers, forcing them to get creative. Morin would run over to the bag of Wright, who had a dry towel, to wipe his club. Morin told Wright at one point that the weather was why you keep old gloves in your bag.

Even as they moved swiftly through the round, the two Crusaders communicated constantly. From the tee box, on the fairway, crouched over balls at the green, Morin and Wright talked ranges, clubs and shots. Morin relayed the information from his rangefinder to Wright, and they read putts collaboratively. The relationship started last year, during tryouts and practice. Halfway through the season, they started playing together and saw that their scores improved. 

“Great chemistry, right away,” Wright said.

Wright also said their communication saves a couple strokes each round. They’ve continued it into this year, and it’s been working.

While having already qualified for sectionals, the golfers know there’s work to be done, and they’re not settling, according to Furey. After the win against Diman, the undefeated Crusaders had four matches remaining — all against teams they’ve already beaten.

“They just want to get better and have fun with it,” Furey said.