GRANTHAM — Just three years ago, the future of the Lebanon High golf program was uncertain.
Chris Pollard stepped down after 12 seasons as head coach, winning a state title in his first year in 2008 and adding runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2016. Junior varsity coach Matt Dancosse, a gym teacher at the school, took over prior to the 2020 season, just as a young core began to make its mark on the Raiders.
Now, in Dancosse’s third season, that core is leading Lebanon toward the top of the NHIAA Division III standings. The Raiders have six seniors on a roster of nine, and five of them have been on varsity since at least their sophomore year. After finishing eighth at the state championships in 2020 and fifth last year, Lebanon (23-4) is in second place less than two weeks away from states on Oct. 11 at Windham Country Club.
“They went through a stretch where they had kids who were casual golfers,” Dancosse said. “They weren’t competitive golfers, and they had a little bit of a lull there. And then this group of seniors just happened to be coming up that loved golf. It was fortunate timing for me. It’s been a lot of fun to see them grow.”
The Raiders’ top golfer, Roy Shapard, was in the No. 2 position as a sophomore, then finished fifth as an individual at the 2021 state championships. He took first in a match at White Mountain Country Club on Sept. 8, helping Lebanon defeat Souhegan, Plymouth and Bishop Brady. Shapard picked up another individual win on Sept. 21 in Claremont, defeating Stevens and ConVal.
This past Monday, on the Raiders’ home course at Eastman Golf Links, Shapard was again the medalist as Lebanon topped Pelham, Plymouth and Sanborn.
Shapard said his grandmother got him his first set of clubs, and he has been golfing ever since.
“We’ve got a great group of guys and a great coach,” Shapard said. “My problem has always been my mental game, and (Dancosse) has helped me a lot with that. Just keep staying focused on what you’re doing right now; don’t think about what’s ahead of you or what already happened.”
Alex Blish, who has played competitively for six years, has occupied the No. 2 slot for the Raiders this year. Sophomore Ben Britton, who won a match on Sept. 9 in Newport against Pelham and Kearsarge, is at No. 3, with twin seniors Dawson and Sam Bates, who also play basketball and baseball, right behind him.
Dancosse secured free driving range privileges for the team at Eastman and free putting practice at Crown Point Country Club in Springfield, Vt. Because the state championship is 18 holes rather than the nine played in most regular-season events, Dancosse encourages the Raiders to play 18 holes at least once or twice a week during the summer, before school starts and daylight hours shorten.
“We spend a lot of time in the preseason playing 18 holes,” Dancosse said. “I emphasized to the kids all summer, ‘Play 18 holes. Don’t go out and just play nine.’
“By the beginning of the season, these kids were conditioned for 18 holes. How do you condition people for 18 holes if they only have time for nine? That’s the hardest thing.”
Blish said swing technique is not Dancosse’s specialty, but he is adept at course management, helping the team understand how to play each hole. Many of the Raiders played at either Eastman or Lebanon’s Carter Country Club before high school, but Dancosse helps familiarize them with other courses they compete on during the season.
Dancosse expects Lebanon’s numbers to diminish after this senior class graduates, but for now, he’s focused on enjoying the current group while he still can.
“It’s been a fun season. I’ll be really sad when this senior class leaves,” Dancosse said. “To know that we only have a week and a half left in our season is disappointing. Although I want to win a championship, no matter what it will be bittersweet. Whether we finish first, second, third, fourth or fifth, it’s not going to change how I feel about the season.”
Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.