Spirlet shoots 40 in Westport golf loss

Wildcats determined to make playoffs despite dropping three straight

Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 9/30/22

Cooper Spirlet shot a low score of 40 and won his match at the Old Scotland Links Golf Course in Bridgewater for the Westport golf team which lost to Bristol Plymouth 2-7 in a league match on …

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Spirlet shoots 40 in Westport golf loss

Wildcats determined to make playoffs despite dropping three straight

Posted

Cooper Spirlet shot a low score of 40 and won his match at the Old Scotland Links Golf Course in Bridgewater for the Westport golf team which lost to Bristol Plymouth 2-7 in a league match on Thursday. 

The Wildcats capped a difficult week as they beat Cape Cod Regional on Monday 6.5-2.5 and then dropped three straight matches to Diman, Bourne and Bristol Plymouthm dropping their overall record to 4-5. The Wildcats conference record remains at 4-3. 

Spirlet, a junior will be in the lineup going forward as the team makes a playoff push according to head coach Matt Kampper. “Cooper shot a 66 in his first match of the year, but has settled down as of late,” he said. Spirlet played for Westport as an eighth grader then went to Dartmouth for two years before returning to Westport for his junior year. 

On Wednesday Sophomore Owen Boudria shot a 53 to win his match and Bryton Graham had a low score of 43 in Westport’s 1-8 loss to Bourne at the beautiful Acoaxet Golf Club.

“We are right there,” said head coach Matt Kampper who took the team over three years ago and also coaches the girls tennis team in the spring. The golf team was mired in a winless streak when Coach Kampper took over in 2020. “Considering that in my first year, we had zero wins and last year we had two wins, we are in a good spot right now,” he said. “If things go according to plan, the team will qualify for sectionals for the first time in quite a while.” 

Coach Kampper immediately changed the team’s attitude and they bought in to his upbeat style of coaching. The Wildcats won two matches last season and were inspired to play a bunch of golf over the summer. 

“You can see in the results,” Coach Kampper said. “They’re becoming more consistent. They are getting better and they want to win.” 

Senior Avery Viveiros, a six year player, has played a leading role in the attitude change. 

“Avery has been a big part of the turn around,” said Coach Kampper of the team’s number one player. “Avery takes on the other team’s best player and we’ve played against some studs,” said Coach Kampper. “Even when he’s not winning, he’s staying positive which is good for the team, especially the younger kids. He was here for the lows and now hopefully for some of the highs.” 

Sophomore Owen Boudria is the team’s number two player. Coach Kampper recruited him at the baseball field as a freshman. “He’s a great baseball player. It took a while to get his swing turned around. The baseball kids always try to hit it over the green monster.” He joked. “Once Owen straightened it out, he’s got a lot of power.” 

Boudria consistently out drove his foursome during the match against Bourne. Coach Kampper feels that he’ll be stud for Westport once he cleans up his short game. 

Freshman Ben Bernier is the team’s number three golfer. He has a prosthetic leg and with four matches this week, he took the non-league match off on Wednesday. “Ben has been a great golfer for us this year. He’s gotten stronger and better since he started playing as a seventh grader. Sophomore Brayton Graham is the team’s fourth spot. “Brayton is another baseball guy,” Coach Kampper said. “He’s gotten more consistent and he’s come up clutch for us this season.”

Seventh grader Abby Forbes is playing in the fifth spot. Forbes is a member at Acoaxet and her older brothers played on team. “She’s a good consistent golfer,” said Coach Kampper. “Her confidence is the biggest thing.”

Forbes is learning to bare down when in a close match and fight for the win on the ninth hole. 

Spirlet in currently in the sixth spot for Westport. In the mix are eighth grader Liam McMahon, Cole Boudria, Noah Lacey, Cameron Wilkinson and Luke Santos, who all can can step into the top six to fill in when needed. 

“It’s nice to have depth and to have a group that can play and are passionate about the game.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.