Beavers waste no time clinching Colonial title

By Chris Villani

Connor Griffin is one of the two top players for BVT golf this season. Photo credit: Photo by Tasha Griffin

Barely midway through the 2024 season, the Blackstone Valley Tech golf team had already wrapped up the Colonial Athletic League title after winning the first 11 league matches of the year. The Beavers started 12-1 overall, and head coach Craig Allen said the team’s top-four has been steady.

“I knew we had a solid top of the lineup,” Allen said. “They have carried us the entire season, and we have other players who have scored in a couple of matches.”

The team’s unquestioned leader has been Connor Griffin, who frequently shoots at or under par.

“He is just incredible,” his coach said. “He is that once-in-a-lifetime player that a coach wishes for. He just works so hard on his game, and it’s amazing to watch some of the things he can do with a golf ball.”

Griffin has been paired with Leopaul Gamelin, who Allen said might be the Beavers’ biggest surprise. 

BVT’s second pairing of Santiago Hernandez and Charlie Leighton has also been very successful.

“Santiago is just a fun kid, he is a grip it and rip it style of golfer and he just goes up there and enjoys the game,” Allen said. “Charlie and Santiago have been playing together for the past couple of years, and they feed off each other, which is fun to see.”

Ayden Joseph and Mateo Lame have scored in matches this season as well, and both could factor into Valley Tech’s success as it heads toward the postseason. Allen said the players set themselves up well for success with their preparation coming into the season.

“Kudos to them, because they went out and they all worked hard on their games over the summer,” he said, noting some of the players joined Highfields Golf Club, where BVT plays its home matches. 

“They have played a lot of golf,” the coach said.

Allen said his team should be competitive in the State Vocational Tournament as well as the state sectional tournament, even though the latter will be played at an unfamiliar course.

The Beavers have a tall task in trying to get to the state tournament as a team while playing in the competitive Division II. The program advanced to the states as a team a couple of seasons ago, and Allen is hoping they can do it again.

“I would love for them to have that opportunity,” he said. “It’s pretty cool when the whole team gets there.”