AUBURN — Who needs talent when the St. Dom’s golf team possesses perseverance, camaraderie and a dedicated coach who steered the Saints to a Class C state title last season?

But thanks to a strong feeder program, St. Dom’s does have talent that goes hand-in-hand with its team chemistry and diligence, and that is why coaches aren’t convinced this is a rebuilding year for the Saints.

“I graduated six of my best seven players, or my most experienced players,” said St. Dom’s coach Kevin Cullen. “So that the kids I have on varsity this year, except for one, none of them have played more than two varsity matches.”

But other coaches in the Mountain Valley Conference still aren’t buying it because of St. Dom’s winning tradition and a feeder program that begins at the junior high level.

“I think it is going to be tough every year,” said Cullen. “I know when you win a state championship, every team sets their sights on you, and we are good with that. It’s nice for people to respect our team and our program.”

Take a peek at a St. Dom’s golf practice and you will see an army of young golfers who can’t get enough of the sport.

“Middle school up to high school, we have 35 kids,” said Cullen. “The kids are absolute sponges.

“If you look at the far end of the (driving) range, that’s my junior high group. I have 17 kids on the junior high group with five girls, and four of those girls are really good. I think all these kids know if they don’t get better, those junior high kids will pass them.”

For Cullen, practice does indeed make perfect. His athletes lined up on the driving range in the hot sun to hone their long-game skills at Fox Ridge Golf Club. And after practice, they were responsible for cleaning up the range.

Discipline also works for the Saints.
 
“Today we are going to spend two-and-a-half hours on the driving range, and I am going to work with each kid individually,” Cullen said. “Generally, for the varsity kids, we spend at least two hours a week on the driving range hitting balls.”

Cullen will be counting on his No. 1 man — Zack DeBlois, now a senior who played a key role in St. Dom’s championship season.

But DeBlois, who is one of three captains, has confidence in his teammates and believes the Saints can make another run at the title. Joining DeBlois at the helm are senior captain John Marcous and junior captain Mike Richard.

“We lost  a lot, but I feel like we have a lot of kids that can contribute like last year,” said DeBlois. “Our goal is for everyone on our team to get better. I think we have a lot of kids that have a lot to show and are really good golfers.”

The senior captain hits the ball well off the tee and has an impressive short game, which is why his reputation carries a lot weight on the links.

“He is No. 1, and I think everybody in the conference knows he is an impressive player,” said Cullen.

DeBlois will also play mentor to underclassmen who will benefit from his expertise and leadership.

“I feel I can help some of the kids that are struggling in those areas to get better,” he said.

Cullen will tell you there is no secret to St. Dom’s prosperity.

“Perseverance is the best thing we have,” he said. “None of them will quit. They will keep trying to stay with it. Several of the kids playing varsity this year are seniors who have been on JV for three years, and this is their year.”

That goes without saying.

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