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ORCHALD LAKE — Playing against the likes of Catholic High School League rivals Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and Detroit Catholic Central on a consistent basis can cloud the accomplishments that Orchard Lake St. Mary’s boys golf has achieved the past few years.
On May 30 at Huron Meadows Metropark at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Region 11 Championship, it was St. Mary’s time to shine in the spotlight.
“I know almost everybody on their team, and I’m friends with a few of them, and it was nice to finally say we beat Brother Rice,” junior Cooper Eaton said. “They’ve kind of given it to us the last two years, and it’s nice to give it back once and a while.”
As all five golfers shot under an 80 for the day, St. Mary’s edged Brother Rice by seven strokes to earn the first regional title in school history. St. Mary’s finished second to Brother Rice at regionals last year, falling 25 strokes out of first place.
Eaton and junior Ben Carroll continued to do what they’ve executed all season successfully, which was leading by example for the young St. Mary’s squad.
Eaton and Carroll both shot a 72, which earned both of them runner-up placements in the individual regional placement. Cooper, who shot a 71 and finished second in the region in 2022, carried a 73 average throughout this season for St. Mary’s.
While the veterans, who both competed at the 2022 MHSAA Division 2 State Finals, set the tone, St. Mary’s slew of young talent didn’t play like a group of freshmen and sophomores as St. Mary’s was the only team at regionals where every golfer shot under an 80.
Sophomores Ethan Mukhtar, who competed in the state finals last season, and Mason Shea shot a 74 (6th) and 75 (7th), respectively, which collected top-10 finishes for both golfers.
Shea was a focal point of St. Mary’s junior varsity golf squad last season and heading into this year, but St. Mary’s coach Tom Brecht said his progression exceeded expectations.
“He was probably my biggest surprise, because when I talked to the JV coach, he said, ‘Yeah, he’s my best player you’re going to get this year,’ but I didn’t know how good he was,” Brecht said. “He’s been very good. I’m really pleased with what I got in him.”
To cap it off for the underclassmen group, freshman Mikey Karwaski tallied a 79 to put a stamp on St. Mary’s dominant showing.
In his first year on varsity, Karwaski finished his freshman campaign with back-to-back 85 rounds at the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals June 10 at The Fortress in Frankenmuth and was a reliable contributor all season long for Brecht.
“He’s very consistent,” Brecht said. “He’s not wild off the tee, and he doesn’t hit it long because he’s still growing. I think as he progresses, he’ll hit the ball farther. Right now, he keeps the ball in play, and that’s important. A lot of times, kids like to hit the ball as far as they can, but they don’t know where it’s going. Then you get into the big numbers, but Mike is not like that. For a freshman, he’s very composed.”
St. Mary’s would end its season with a 12th-place finish at the state finals as the inexperience seemed to catch up with the young group.
Carroll led the way with a team-high 161 score while Eaton finished with a 164 during the two-day rounds. Mukhtar finished with a 174, while Shea ended his sensational sophomore year with a 165.
While their state finals showing wasn’t exactly how St. Mary’s had hoped for, all eyes will be on them next season in the Division 2 after their regional-winning season.
With all five golfers returning with another year of experience under their belts, Eaton said expectations are high heading into the 2024 season.
“We’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing,” Eaton said. “We’re gonna let this year’s states float out of our heads. We all have to get better if we want a chance at winning next year.”
