The Erskine golf team is off to a flying start, as the Eagles opened the season 9-0.

“We’re kind of rolling,” Erskine coach Mark Bailey said. “The kids are playing well and things are kind of going our way.”

With five golfers returning from last year’s team, the experienced Eagles have been remarkably consistent. They have posted a low score of 157 and a team high of just 172.

Connor Paine and Aaron Pion split the top flight for Erskine, with Robert Harmon and Justin Browne also consistently scoring in the top four.

“What’s nice is we have two seniors, Dylan Presby and Brandon Keezer, who have also scored well for us. They’ve each made it into the top four a few times,” Bailey said.

The Eagles have just one match left in the regular season — at Spruce Mountain on Monday. Then they’ll turn their sights to the postseason.

“We’d like to win the shootout at the KVAC tournament,” Bailey said. “We’ll have a first round bye, and you’d like to win it not only to win the conference but also because it’s an automatic bid to the state team tournament.”

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Cony is off to a 3-3 start as the Rams look to qualify for the team state meet.

To get there, Cony will have to get consistent solid rounds up and down its lineup.

“For us, the biggest thing we need is consistency,” said coach Shawn Johnson. “We have a few kids who can score pretty well but it’s a matter of making it happen consistently. So far, we’ll have two or three shoot really well and two or three who don’t.”

Cony had 16 golfers come out this fall, but has settled on a regular top six. Jake Whitley is playing as the Rams’ No. 1 and senior Steve Goulette is playing No. 2.

“Steve has been a really pleasant surprise,” Johnson added. “He came out and played JV as a junior and this year comfortably made our team and has just kept improving.”

Cony faces a stiff test Monday when it plays Camden, which defeated it earlier this season.

“They’ve got a lot of depth and they played great against us the first time, so it should be a good test,” Johnson said.

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Relatively experienced Winthrop is back in the playoff hunt after finishing third in the Class C state championships a year ago.

The Ramblers are off to a red-hot 7-1 start. Their lone loss came to Dirigo last week, and in that match, Winthrop’s four scoring players all shot in the 40s.

“We’re having a great year. We’ve got a really deep team,” Ramblers coach Lonny Steeves said. “We’ve been able to use eight different kids in the lineup.”

Winthrop graduated just two players off last year’s playoff team, and the experience has paid off for the returners.

“That’s been the great thing, that experience has been one of the best things for us,” Steeves said.

The Ramblers will get a chance to avenge their lone loss Tuesday when they compete in a three-way match with Dirigo and Carrabec. Then they’ll turn their eyes toward the playoffs.

“We’re hoping to make a run at the MVCs. That’s our goal, to make the final there and then try to get a berth in the state tournament.”

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