Cranston West has qualified for the state golf tournament in four consecutive seasons. On the quest for five, the Falcons have more catching up to do than normal, but they’re confident they’ll end up in the same spot.

Four of the team’s top six players from a year ago weren’t in the lineup when the 2014 season began Monday at Cranston Country Club. Two graduated, one isn’t playing this year and the fourth – junior Ryan Perry – is battling back from a shoulder injury suffered during hockey season.

That leaves some holes, but optimism remains.

“When you’re returning two out of six, you’ve got to take some lumps,” said head coach Chris Sullivan. “We’re going to, but I think we’ll come out the other side and earn a trip to the state championship. It’s going to be a little more demanding, a few more hours on the practice range for us to get to where we normally are. But it’s not a down year. We’re just going to have to earn it.”

West begins the year with two strong, veteran players at the top of the lineup, two seniors who have been waiting their turn and two younger golfers with big potential. Perry is expected back at some point, as well.

The key is putting it all together, round after round.

“We’re going to be just as competitive as always, but we are going to have to do it the old-fashioned way,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to have to scrape, we’re going to have to punch out a few times, we’re going to have to take our medicine. We’re going to have to find a way to win enough matches to get to the state championship, and this team is capable of doing that.”

Seniors Alex Greenwood and Josh Macera will lead the way for the Falcons. Both were key parts of the lineup last season and should be two of the strongest golfers in the division this season. Macera led the way with a 45 in Monday’s wind-swept opener and Greenwood was right behind with a 46.

“We took a big hit when it comes to graduating talent. We lost our one and two, but we replaced them with a very talented one and two,” Sullivan said. “Alex Greenwood has the potential to break 40 every time he goes out there. Josh Macera is probably the most improved golfer I’ve seen since I’ve been around this program, from freshman to senior. He had some very big tournament wins over the summer.”

West’s top two will likely post the team’s best scores day in and day out. To get to where they want to be, though, the Falcons will need good performances from the rest of the lineup, too.

“I have no questions about my one and two performing every match,” Sullivan said. “Now you roll the dice and say, ‘Can I go two-for-four?’ That doesn’t always work out, and it might be a different two every time but the potential is there.”

Seniors Alyssa Ruggieri and Nick Paolo have a good shot to be consistent scorers. Both are experienced golfers who haven’t had the chance to be regular parts of the varsity lineup until now.

“Alyssa Ruggieri is, I think, clearly one of the top 10 girls in the state,” Sullivan said. “She has shortened her swing, she’s powerful, she hits it down the middle and she’s been practicing harder than anybody. She’s very much improved and is going to be a quality player. Nick Paolo was just on the cusp of getting into matches, because we’ve had so much depth the past few years. He’s an improved player. He’s got the ability to shoot in the 40s and keep us on track.”

If Perry gets back to full strength, he could slot into the third spot, giving West an added boost.

“We’re hoping he steps right back into the three spot,” Sullivan said. “He’s a very talented kid. Not that we’re not capable now, but it’ll be a nice luxury to get him back.”

For now, sophomores Andrew Paniccia and Mitchell Smith are rounding out the varsity lineup, and Sullivan likes what he’s seen from both. Smith shot a 47 on Monday, the third-best score of the day.

“Mitchell Smith is a very talented hockey player and a very talented golfer,” Sullivan said. “He has the potential to rise into the top of my order. Andrew has been with us two years. His game has improved. Not only is he keeping it in play and hitting greens, he’s starting to score well.”

Sophomores Michael Branca, Nick Kopsick and Zach Torres are also on the roster. A deep crop of freshmen make up a strong JV squad.

“I have another six JV golfers that are all freshmen,” Sullivan said. “And they have talent. We won’t be able to use them probably this year, but they’re going to be able to step right in next year.”

Overall, West’s strong golf tradition seems to be continuing.

“It’s a very positive outlook and they’re great kids to work with,” Sullivan said. “They come early, they stay late, they work hard, they play together. It’s a good group to be around.”

‘Bolts back to

building stage

There was no run to the playoffs or a berth in the state championship, but last season was a positive one for the Cranston East golf team. After three consecutive winless campaigns, the ’Bolts broke through and won four matches for their highest-win total in more than a decade.

As the ’Bolts begin the 2014 season, they’re back at the beginning of that cycle. They have a few veterans hoping for success but they’re mostly a young group that will try to build toward another good year sometime down the line.

“It’s going to be a teaching year,” said head coach John Palumbo. “Four of the six, this is their first year playing golf.”

The ’Bolts may be able to compete with a few teams in the Central Division, but they’ll be focused more on themselves and their improvement.

The two players leading the way were consistent parts of the lineup last year, so East isn’t starting completely from scratch. Senior Kyle Burd played in the No. 3 spot last year, while senior Brian Deware played No. 4.

In Monday’s season opener against Cranston West, Burd shot a 47 to tie for the third-best mark of the day from either team. Deware carded a 59.

“The boys in the front have been with me for three years,” Palumbo said. “They know what to work on.”

The rest of the lineup is completely new to the game, which is where the teaching comes in. On Monday, East had sophomores Michael Tavares and Federico Rivas in the third and fourth spots. Freshmen Annabelle Neville and Isabel Rennick rounded out the lineup.

Palumbo likes having underclassmen establishing themselves in the program. The key is taking the right early steps.

“I’m expecting them to hang in there,” Palumbo said. “I don’t want them to get frustrated. I want to try to allay that, get them to have fun and help them learn the game.”

Teaching is nothing new for Palumbo, who has welcomed in dozens of brand-new golfers in his years at the helm. Improvement is not just a buzz word.

“They’re going to make a lot of improvements, just in ball striking and putting,” Palumbo said. “It’s just a matter of hitting balls, getting the club in your hands. If you’re really into, just go hit practice. We’ve all been there, but if you like it, the more you do it, the better you’re going to get.”

East finished with a 257 in Monday’s match. The ’Bolts are hoping the numbers will drop steadily as the year goes on. An earlier-than-normal start to the season hasn’t helped matters, but East is ready to take strides.

“We’ve only had a couple of really good days, plus we’re starting early, so we’re missing out on a lot of hours with these guys,” Palumbo said. “But I’m expecting them to improve. There are some teams that’ll be at the top, but with everybody else, it changes every year. We’ll see where we stack up.”