Leaders on the Links: Here are the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Golf All-Scholastics
TAUNTON— Another high school golf season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area.
Once again, Bridgewater-Raynham (9-5, 7-1 Southeast Conference) led the way locally, capturing a share of the SEC crown for their 10th straight league title and qualifying for the Division 1 South tournament, finishing 15th as a team. Bristol-Plymouth (6-4-2, 6-4-2 Mayflower Athletic Conference) also qualified for the postseason, finishing 9th at the Division 3 South tournament. Dighton-Rehoboth (7-11, 7-7 South Coast Conference) saw their 30 year tournament streak come to an end, but still put in some strong showings while Taunton (2-14, 0-10 Hockomock League) scored wins over Stoughton and New Bedford.
With the fall season now in the rearview, here's a final look back at the Greater Taunton area golfers who stood out among the crowd to earn their spot as 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Golf All-Scholastics.
Golfer of the Year
Richie Thayer, Bridgewater-Raynham
The senior captain wrapped up a stellar high school golf career with another strong season, being named the SEC MVP and crowned the individual SEC co-champion shooting a 72. He also finished tied for second at the annual Sullivan Tournament shooting a 78 (+8). Some of his most notable results include shooting a 32 (-4) against Brockton, a 33 (-3) against New Bedford and 34 (-2) against Dartmouth and averaged a 37.8 per nine holes.
Also named an Enterprise/Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic, Thayer will surely be missed by the Trojans next fall.
First Team All-Scholastics
Alex Dias, Taunton
The junior led the way for the Tigers this fall, averaging a round score of 41.38 with notable outings including shooting a 39 (+3) against Attleboro, Mansfield and Stoughton and a 40 (+4) against Franklin. He shot a team best 81 (+11) at the Hockomock Championship.
A Hockomock All-Star, expect Dias to continue to lead the way on the links for Taunton heading into his senior year.
Jack Balutis, Bridgewater-Raynham
The sophomore truly established himself for the Trojans this fall, averaging a match score of 39.2 while shooting a 77 at the SEC Tournament and an 89 (+19) at the Sullivan Tournament. Some of his most notable performances this fall include shooting a 39 (+3) against Brockton and a 41 (+5) against both Apponequet and Brockton.
An SEC All-Star, Balutis is also an Enterprise/Patriot Ledger Second Team All-Scholastic. Named a 2024 co-captain, Balutis is also a member of the basketball team and should continue to be a big presence for the Trojans over the next two years.
Jack Kless, Bridgewater-Raynham
The junior put in another strong campaign for the Trojans this fall, with notable performances including shooting a 37 (+1) against New Bedford and a 42 (+6) against both Dartmouth and Brockton.
An SEC Honorable Mention, Kless is also a member of the hockey team and looks set to be another strong factor for B-R in his senior year.
Matt Lydon, Bridgewater-Raynham
The sophomore was another key piece for the Trojans this fall, averaging a round score of 41 while being crowned the SEC Tournament co-champion along with Thayer after shooting a 72. He also finished third at the Sullivan Tournament shooting an 80 (+10). Some of his most notable performances this fall include shooting an even par of 36 against New Bedford and a 39 (+3) and 40 (+4) against Brockton.
An SEC All-Star, Lydon is also an Enterprise/Patriot Ledger Second Team All-Scholastic and was named a 2024 co-captain. Also a member of the hockey team, expect Lydon to continue to grow and improve for the Trojans over the next two years.
Donny Azar, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior wrapped up a solid high school golf career, tying for 36th overall at the Division 2 South Tournament with a team-best 89 (+18). In match play, he scored wins over Diman, Cape Cod Tech and South Shore Tech among others and consistently was a leader for the Craftsmen.
An MAC All-Star, Azar is also a member of the lacrosse team and will surely be missed at B-P next year.
Devlin Maloney, Bristol-Plymouth
The senior wrapped up a solid high school golf career, finishing 52nd at the Division 2 South tournament with a team second-best 97 (+26). In match play, he recorded wins over Old Colony and South Shore Tech among others while his best ball in a match he tied against Cape Cod Tech helped secure a win.
An MAC All-Star, he will certainly be missed by the Craftsmen next year.
James Czech, Dighton-Rehoboth
The junior put in another solid campaign for the Falcons this fall, averaging a round score of 42. In match play, he shot under a 40 five times, recording a season-best 38 (+2) against Apponequet, West Bridgewater and Attleboro.
Named a captain for the 2024 season, Czech is also a member of the track team and looks set to continue to be a leader for D-R heading into his senior year.
Jordan Dietz, Dighton-Rehoboth
The senior captain wrapped up a strong high school golf career as the Falcons' top golfer, being named team MVP after shooting a round average of 40. He was also D-R's representative at the Division 2 South tournament, where he finished tied for 29th with an 87 (+16). Some of his most notable outings this spring include shooting a 37 (+1) against both Somerset Berkley and Greater New Bedford and a 38 (+2) against Fairhaven.
An SCC All-Star, Dietz is also a captain on the basketball team whose leadership and skillset will surely be missed at D-R next year.
Charlie Rosa, Dighton-Rehoboth
The freshman enjoyed another solid campaign for the Falcons, alternating with Dietz for the one and two spot on the scorecard while averaging a 41 in match play. Some of his most notable performances this fall include shooting a 37 (+1) against Somerset Berkley and a 39 (+3) against Fairhaven and Attleboro.
An SCC Honorable Mention, Rosa is also a member of the hockey team and looks set to be a key piece for D-R over the next three years.
Second Team All-Scholastics
Jared Russo, Bridgewater-Raynham
Matt Cabral, Bristol-Plymouth
Ella Rosa, Dighton-Rehoboth
Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Presenting the 2023 Taunton Daily Gazette Golf All-Scholastics
