West Lebanon
On a recent sunny Friday, Pollard counted nine Raiders on the top deck of the Fore-U driving range firing a variety of shots at a variety of targets. That’s historically been the size of the ninth-year coach’s varsity roster. For this season, it’s the size of his entire program.
With both school enrollment and golf participation numbers declining, Pollard has moved Lebanon into NHIAA Division III competition this year, the first of a new two-year classification cycle. He expects the Raiders to be competitive. He hopes this won’t be a permanent move.
“I sat with (former athletic director Zac Stevenson) at the end of last season, and we knew that the numbers were dropping considerably,” Pollard said. “We had no idea of what’s coming up. It was the time they were switching (classifications); you either have to petition up to Division II or just stay in III.
“D-II is very competitive, a lot of really good teams. And I want these guys to be competitive. I’m not saying we’re going to D-III to win championships; D-III has a lot of great teams, too. But I want them to be successful and competitive, not only for their school career but for the love of the game.”
While the NHIAA has a basic four-division alignment for basketball, soccer, baseball and softball, other sports committees are free to set their own divisional parameters, association executive director Jeff Collins said Wednesday. Golf’s four-division lineup has been jiggered to create numerical balance. When Lebanon has fallen below the D-II cutoff, the school has routinely petitioned up and stayed up, Pollard said.
The lack of new players entering Lebanon’s team makes this situation different. The only freshman who signed up for preseason practices didn’t show. Pollard doesn’t see many future Raiders coming down the pipeline.
“We don’t have a jayvee team this year, and we lost a bunch of guys last year who were just solid golfers,” senior Hunter Marsh said. “We don’t have people coming up playing; we have no freshmen on this team this year, as of right now. That hurts us, so that’s why I call this the right move.”
A division that played eight golfers in a match and counted five toward a team score left Lebanon no margin for error. In D-III, Pollard will send seven competitors into a match, with the low four scores over nine holes making up the team tally.
“I think the junior golf programs around this area have declined,” Pollard said. “(Fore-U director of golf) Pete Harris does a great thing down here with the kids, but he’s Upper Valley-wide, not just Lebanon. Carter (Golf Club), I don’t think they even have a junior program, and very few juniors go up there.
“Eastman’s doing a great job. … That’s starting to get big, but that’s all young kids there. They’re not high school age yet.”
Aside from the marginally smaller competition requirements, Lebanon will face a different set of foes this season.
Bow has won the last four D-III state team championships and boasted the individual champ last year as well. Fall Mountain remains solid, and Derryfield — traditionally one of D-IV’s more consistent programs — has petitioned up again to join a 17-school lineup from which the top seven teams will qualify for states.
The divisional change means no Hanover showdowns. Lebanon handed the two-time defending D-II champs their only loss of 2015. Pollard will miss the challenge.
“What we’re losing, quite honestly, is more of a good relationship; a friendship, if you will,” Pollard said. “(Hanover coach John Donnelly) and I get along great. We have a lot of fun together. The kids all knew each other. It was actually easy playing with Hanover because there was no tension.
“And then there’s the drive for Lebanon to beat Hanover and Hanover to beat Lebanon. It’s a crosstown … I don’t like to say rivalry in this sport because I don’t think it’s a rivalry. I think it’s bragging rights.”
Although small in numbers, Lebanon has strength at the top of its lineup. Marsh shot a first-round 79 at states last year to reach the individual finals. Fellow seniors Alex Bitler and Kevin Kiernan played on the state team last fall, as did sophomore Kyle Pelletier. Senior Nate Damren has also returned to the team after taking last autumn off.
That top-end strength leaves both Marsh and Pollard optimistic for the coming season in a new landscape. They also see work ahead if Lebanon is to get back to the division to which it’s always belonged.
“I think kids need to go out and play, younger kids,” Marsh said. “I’ve been playing since I was 5. I’ve had so much fun with it, and that’s what needs to happen. Young kids need to get into golf, and that’s where we need to be to get back up to D-II.”
Divots: Lebanon will again play its home matches at Eastman Golf Links. Pollard said the Grantham facility has been welcoming, and the tougher layout gives the Raiders a distinct home-course edge. “We get to know it really well, and it’s a fun course to play,” Marsh said. … Pelletier is the younger brother of Pat Pelletier, who won the NHIAA Class IMS individual state championship in 2005 for Lebanon. … The NHIAA has reduced the number of teams that will qualify for D-II states from 12 to 10. The association’s golf committee has also approved the use of GPS or laser devices for measuring distance both in the regular season and state tourney, although cellphone GPS is illegal. Any violations will result in a two-stroke penalty and, upon a second offense, disqualification. … The Raiders were to start their season today, but a schedule conflict led the host to postpone. Lebanon will instead kick things off on Tuesday with an Eastman date against Kearsarge and Laconia.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.