GolfNewsRI

GolfNewsRI’s coverage of High School Golf is presented by Golf365RI.

Barrington has remained in control of the East Division over the last few years, and have been the only team to make State Championship out of that division. 

However, the competition is ramping up in the East with both Mt. Hope and Portsmouth trying to take the title. 

And how about East Providence making a run this season? 

Let’s pay a visit to the East. 

Barrington

The Barrington Eagles were one of four teams that went undefeated in 2025 en route to the East Division title and a berth in the State Championship. 

The Eagles lost Lily Dessel and Greg Fitta to graduation, and turn to Claire and Mitch McTaggart to help lead the way in 2026. 

“The team will be led by both McTaggarts, Claire and Mitch. Claire will look to perform not only for the Eagles in team events but additionally for individual girls titles this year. Mitch should be very competitive as a young talented sophomore in the state,” said Head Coach Cole Kazounis. 

Claire is headed to Providence College to play golf after this season and will look for a strong finish to her career. 

Last season, McTaggart ranked fourth in the state in iWR, just ahead of former teammate Lily Dessel. 

McTaggart went on to finish second in the State Championship Tournament behind Adriana Eaton.

Mitch finished 21st in IWR as a freshman with a scoring average of 37.8. 

He went on to finish in a tie for ninth at the State Championship tournament.

Two other key players for Barrington will be senior Rocco DiMatteo and junior Emma Lockhart. 

DiMatteo ranked 33rd in iWR last season and then had a high finish at the State Championship, just behind Mitch McTaggart.  

Lockhart ranked top ten among girls in iWR last season as a sophomore and will look to build off that this year. 

“With Claire and Mitch leading the team, and our 3-8 players looking strong and poised to perform, we should be competitive with the top teams in the state for the 2026 season,” said Kazounis. 

Kazounis also notes that Barrington will look to other juniors and seniors to fill in the depth on the roster this season behind the “Big 4.” 

Mt. Hope

The Huskies enter 2026 with a ton of momentum after recording the best season in program history in 2025. 

Mt. Hope went 13-3 and set school records for most wins, lowest match score and lowest season scoring average. 

“Mt. Hope enters the upcoming season with unprecedented momentum, looking to build on last year’s historic campaign that saw the program capture its best season in school history,” said Head Coach Wayne Lima. 

Mt. Hope just missed out on qualifying for the 2025 State Championship by about three iWR points. 

While there is a ton of momentum behind the Huskies, this season will not be without its challenges. 

Ben Peters, one of the top players on the team, will miss the entire season after suffering an injury during basketball season. 

“The coaching staff and returning players remain confident that the squad’s depth will compensate for his absence,”said Lima. 

Mt. Hope will look to seniors Jackson Howland and Luke Domina to carry the load. 

Domina ranked 77th in iWR last season, while Howland ranked 87th. 

The Huskies will also look for contributions from seniors Mason Kachapis, Braeden Clarke and Brennan McLaughlin, all of whom saw action last season. 

One player to watch is freshman Logan Ferreira who has earned a spot on the varsity roster this season. 

Portsmouth

The Patriots are coming off a great season in 2025, going 11-2 overall to finish third in the division. 

Portsmouth missed out on a spot in the State Championship by mere percentage points. 

Coming into this season, Portsmouth will be led by junior Jacob Nocon, who ranked among the best players in the state in 2025. 

Nocon finished 24th in iWR in 2025 with a scoring average of 38. 

The Patriots have already played one match this season, which they won.

In that match, behind Nocon, they got a great round from sophomore sPatrick Swart-Chouinard, Eoin Soler and junior Liam Casey. 

Portsmouth also has numerous freshmen and sophomores on the roster, who will look to make an impact. 

Best of the Rest

East Providence

East Providence finished 8-7 in the East Division last season and look to be a contender for the crown this year. 

The Townies return two of the best players in the state in seniors Nate Carter and Noah Araujo. 

Araujo ranked 56th in the state in iWR last season, with a scoring average of 38.8 on nine holes. 

He qualified for the State Championship as an individual and finished 48th in the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Carter ranked 69th in iWR in 2025 with a scoring average of 39.6. 

Behind Araujo and Carter, EP will also seek contributions from senior Caleb Reynolds and sophomore Jake Iacavone – both of whom saw action last season. 

Middletown

Middletown went 9-7 last season and finished fourth in the division. 

They will look to build off that this season behind seniors Brayden Swanecamp and Nate Sweeney, as well as, juniors Hannah Berdy and Sadie Moloney on the girls side. 

Berdy and Moloney ranked 41st and 45th in iWR last season and are hoping to make a jump this season. 

Swanecamp ranked 152nd in iWR as a junior last season, while Sweeney ranked 176th. 

The Islanders also have a few sophomores in Thomas Hogan, Zekkiel Fore and William Gill, who will try to make an impact. 

The other teams in the division are Rogers, Tiverton, PCD and St. Mary-Bay View.