MATTAPOISETT — 2022 was a big year for Old Rochester Regional High School’s golf team.
After playing an undefeated season, the team took home the MIAA Division 2 championship title in October.
Now, the team has another honor as the Boston Globe named Old Rochester Regional High School golf coach Chris Cabe as Div. 2 Coach of the Year.
“It’s a huge honor for me and for the school,” said Cabe. “It’s not just me anyways, I’m nothing without the players that I had.”
Cabe, who has been head coach since 2012, led the team to an undefeated 14-win streak last year, and has an overall record of 155-17.
“Chris has had a tremendous impact on our boys golf team as head coach and has helped dozens of players over the years achieve their best,” Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Michael Devoll said. “This accolade is well-deserved and we are pleased to see him recognized for his work.”
The team made it to the state finals in 2014, 2017, 2021, and 2022, and was league champion in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
“You coach for the love of it. You’re doing it more for the kids than anything else,” said Cabe. “It’s not about me, it’s about the kids.”
The Boston Globe didn’t stop at recognizing Cabe’s accomplishments as a coach. Team captains Markus Pierre and Phillip le Gassick were also named Div. 2 Player of the Year and as an All-Scholastic Player respectively.
“Those kids were always leaders to the other kids on a team,” Cabe said. “That’s why they’re some of the best captains I’ve ever had.”
During the team’s championship-winning game, Pierre was the second-best scorer on his team, shooting 75. Le Gassick took the top spot on the team — and second in the tournament — shooting a three-under par 69.
According to Cabe, when Pierre and le Gassick arrived as freshmen, he already knew they were going to be “something real special.”
“Their knowledge of the game is tremendous,” said Cabe. “I always know that a player has mastered the game when they’re able to teach other people.”
But according to Pierre, he was still able to learn a lot from “Coach Cabe.” He said that before the players went to their starting holes during the state championship, they huddled up as a team.
“There were a few seconds of silence where Coach Cabe was able to feel the nerves and emotions in us players and he looked us each in the eye with a big smile and calm demeanor and said, ‘have fun,'” recalled Pierre. “It helped me when I saw how calm, cool and collected he was and I’m sure it helped my teammates — and it obviously worked.”
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