Kents Hills’ Amelie Zachrisson chips onto the ninth green during the Class C golf state championships last season at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

AUGUSTA — It’s October, and while teams playing most fall sports are still settling in, it’s now or never for those on the links.

This week is the penultimate of the Maine high school golf season. In central Maine, that means the girls state championship qualifiers and Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Shootouts are set for this week.

Central Maine girls golfers will head to The Meadows Golf Club in Litchfield for the regional qualifier Thursday. Two of them look to qualify for states again after runner-up finishes in their respective classes a year ago: Lawrence’s Liz Holden and Kents Hill’s Amelie Zachrisson.

Last year, Holden shot a 17-over 89 to finish second to Leavitt’s Jade Haylock in the Class B girls field. This year, Lawrence head coach Joey Marcoux said Holden has greatly improved her focus and consistency and has been the Bulldogs’ No. 1 golfer all season long.

“She’s really honed in on her ball-striking; she doesn’t mis-hit balls now,” Marcoux said. “You know how golf goes: You hit the ball 100 times, and a few of them are going to be bad shots. Last year, she would have eight or nine of those, and she only has one or two of them now.”

Marcoux said Holden has been motivated to close the gap between herself and Haylock. After her 89 at states last year, Holden shot 18-hole rounds of 81, 78 and 83 in July’s Maine Women’s Amateur to place eighth of 89 golfers with a 26-over 242. Haylock won that tournament with a 9-over 225.

Kents Hill has arguably the favorite in the Class C girls field in Zachrisson. The senior from Sweden shot a 17-over 89 last year to finish one stroke shy of champion Maddy Prokopius of North Yarmouth Academy. With Prokopius having graduated, Zachrisson is the top returnee in the field.

“She’s hitting a lot further this year,” said Kents Hill head coach Dan McDonald. “It’s new for her to play in larger tournaments, but even (before the state championships) last year, she had been averaging an 80. I think with her improvements this year, she can (contend) again.”

Elsewhere in Class C, Laurel Sleeper, who has consistently medaled for Mt. Abram all year long after finishing fourth with a 23-over 95 at states a year ago, will look to qualify again. Lydia Jones of Skowhegan, who also shot a 95 last year, hopes to be in the mix in Class A.

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While girls qualifiers are set to begin, central Maine’s top teams have already begun postseason play. The KVAC Class B Shootout is set for Wednesday at Rockland Golf Club, while Class A Shootout qualifiers are ongoing ahead of that tournament Saturday at Brunswick Golf Club.

Powered by one of the region’s top golfers in S.J. Welch, Nokomis finished 8-2 to tie Belfast atop the Class B North standings and earned an automatic berth in the KVAC B Shootout. Central Maine earned a second berth in that shootout last Wednesday as Lawrence (6-5) topped Gardiner (6-5) in a playoff qualifier.

“I can’t seem to find the last time Lawrence was there before, so it’s a chance for new ground for us, to compete for a championship,” Marcoux said. “I had at least four (players) head to (Rockland Golf Club) over the weekend to play that course because they’d never played it before. They’re really excited.”

Nokomis golfer SJ Welch putts on the ninth green during the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference golf qualifier last season at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Morse (9-1) and Leavitt (9-1) qualified for KVAC B automatically out of the South. Lincoln Academy (9-2) topped Erskine Academy (3-8) in the other playoff qualifier last Wednesday to round out the six-team field.

Class A will see one central Maine team advance to the KVAC Shootout, though which team that is will be determined Wednesday. North No. 1 Messalonskee (8-2) will host No. 2 Skowhegan (8-3) at Belgrade Lakes Golf Club with the winner advancing to Saturday’s Shootout in Brunswick.

Messalonskee entered the season looking to replace one of the state’s top golfers in Jacob Moody. Although the Eagles’ 10-player varsity team has five seniors this year, it’s been three underclassmen — freshman Greyson Dooley, sophomore Gavin Jackson and junior Liam McFadden — leading the way.

“All three of them are very tournament-hardy players,” said Messalonskee head coach Gene Dumont of Dooley, Jackson and McFadden. “Our strength is our young players, definitely, but you can’t win on just three guys. Fortunately, our older players have been providing us some stability as well.”

Skowhegan, led by Eddie Goff, claimed its first playoff win in program history Monday night when it beat Oxford Hills to advance to the Shootout qualifying final with Camden Hills. The River Hawks are on a tear at the moment with eight straight wins after an 0-3 start.

“In my opinion, Skowhegan is probably the hottest team in the conference,” Dumont said. “We played them in the first match of the season, but now, they’re a completely different team. We have to respect them.”

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There’s more to come next week as central Maine high school golfers head to Natanis Golf Course. The Vassalboro course will host both the Mountain Valley Conference (Oct. 7) and KVAC (Oct. 8) championships/qualifying meets as well as the Oct. 12 state championships.

Maranacook and Kents Hill will look to battle it out in the MVC qualifier and Class C meet, something that also took place last year. The Black Bears scored 331 to the Huskies’ 350 in the 2023 MVC qualifier before shooting a 330 to their cross-town foe’s 333 in the race for second at states.

Jack Quinn shoots out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the final round of the Charlie’s Maine Open on June 26 at the Augusta Country Club in Manchester. Quinn, a Gardiner Area High School junior, tied for 11th overall. He also tied for first junior and first amateur with Eli Spaulding. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

I feel pretty good, but we’ll see,” McDonald said. “I think you’re going to have (score) about 320 with your top four to have a chance to win. We can do it, but it’s just a matter of whether we can stay calm and collected and whether you’re smooth behind the ball. That’s golf, right?”

Despite missing out on the KVAC B Shootout, Gardiner will have a chance to earn a berth at states at Saturday’s conference qualifying meet — and any time you have Jack Quinn and Austin Gould on your side, you have a chance to compete.

With reigning champ Eli Spaulding of Freeport having graduated in June, Quinn, who was the state runner-up in both 2022 and 2023, is Class B’s top returning golfer. Gould, who shot a 6-over 78 last year and has been averaging a nine-hole 38 this year, will also be in the mix.

“You look at Jack finishing second the last two years, I would assume he’s going to be the favorite, and Austin can put up low numbers, too,” said Gardiner head coach Ian Gould. “We’re hoping they can score well and carry us as a team in that team qualifier, too.”