LYNN — The Lynn Classical golf team was riding high following the 2019 season. The team sported three all-stars, won its division and had a young crop of talented players ready to continue the forward momentum.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
With Lynn classified as a “red” district and unable to participate in the fall sports season, the Rams were stuck in a strange position. Their sport was one of the few that could be played without any game-changing safety modifications, but they were unable to compete.
“With the COVID disaster turning things upside down and not being able to play, our guys, along with countless other Lynn student-athletes, were crushed,” said Classical golf coach Jack Morrison. “It’s tough to pick up the paper, check the sports section and not see the Lynn kids in action, but what I was impressed with was how our guys, although disappointed, were not bitter.”
Classical had some reasons to be upset about missing out on the season, for sure. Coming off a season in which the Rams went 15-5 (10-4 in Northeastern Conference play) and earned an NEC South title, Classical had high hopes and expectations.
Despite losing its three all-stars — Luke Rao, Kyle McCarthy and Tim Nerich — to graduation, Classical was looking forward to another run at the NEC South title. With returning seniors Matt Devin and Daniel Finnigan set to lead the way along with players like Brady Warren, TJ Walsh, Adam Mariano, PJ Tucker and Matt Patrie, things were looking up.
Finnigan, who works at Gannon Golf Course, saw his teammates a lot over the summer.
“The guys were up at the course playing a lot, and that was good to see,” said Finnigan, a co-captain. “And from what I could tell, they were all playing pretty well. No one plays more than Brady Warren, and right there with him most days is TJ Walsh.”
“The guys were really putting in the work this summer, I was impressed,” said Devin, also a co-captain.
“The guys played more than ever over the summer, and they played with purpose,” said Morrison, who was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2019. “Our motto is, ‘Let’s get better,’ and they did that through hours of playing and practice time.”
With the fall sports season in the rearview mirror, Classical is looking forward to hopefully getting a chance to get out on the course for the “Fall Sports II” season that is set to run from late February to late April. The Rams will be competing against some new opponents in the teams of the Greater Boston League, a conference that Classical will be joining come Fall 2021.
“We’ll be ready,” said Devin.