Depending on where you grow up, the dream is different.
If it’s Bloomington, Ind., maybe its hitting the winning shot in the Final Four. Columbus, Ohio, catching the winning touchdown in the Rose Bowl. Calgary, Alb., hoisting the Stanley Cup.
When you grow on the mean streets of Greenlodge, it’s the ecstasy of holding the title of Dedham High girls soccer golf tournament champions.
Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. But having never won it in nearly a decade of chances its right up there in between Village Manor Trivia champ and a Pulitzer Prize.
And we were motivated, big time. Following a one-year sabbatical, The Transcript got the Dream Team back together yesterday as Dedham golf legends Joey and Brian McCabe returned to the fold, thanks to some smooth maneuvering by Team Transcript general manager Jason McKenna, the brains behind the operation.
(This is where I should mention that there have been complaints in the past about the unfavorable treatment of Mr. McKenna by the McKenna family by this column in the past. We’re even.)
Impromptu McGolf sessions, late-night strategy meetings, considerable trash talking, they were all part of the build up to the inevitable accent of Team Transcript to local charity golf tourney aristocracy.
Team Transcript put up perhaps it best bid ever to grasp that golden Putterham ring, shooting 11-under in tough conditions. The theory had been that 12-under gives you a shot and 13-under wins it, both which were very much within our grasp had it not been for a couple of shaky holes with the putter.
The eventual winners were Westwood’s Matt Sebet and Joe Young at 14-under, a couple of young guns out St. Anselm who dragged partners Mike and Chris Polito behind them like a strings of tins cans on a Just-Married car to the title.
I would love to play Sebet and Young as the villains in this tale, unfortunately they seem to be a couple genuinely nice guys and good golfers, albeit tired ones for carrying the Politos for 18 holes.
Luckily Team Trancript always has a foil in Team Ledda, our hated enemy, which matched us for a three-way tie for third. With a money spot on the line, Team Ledda sent out Peter Ledda for the 100-yard shoot-off. We sent McKenna, a mismatch of epic proportions. Team Transcript was no longer looking for glory. It was in search of drama.
Well, there was drama, but sadly McKenna did not provide it. Ledda stuck his shot close, but not quite as close as Ed Fitzhenry, whose bump-up settled within a few feet to claim third for partners Rob Legendere, Arthur Freitas and Mark DelloRusso.
Taking second was longtime DHGSGT powers Perry (of P.M. Donahue Landscaping, shameless plug) and Tye Donahue, Dan McDonnell, and Dennis Guilfoyle at 12-under.
Well, it started quick shockingly, actually. With the dew still ripe on the course and the haze of less than three hours sleep fresh, yours truly bent a hybrid hole-high on the long par-3 17th to 10 feet, McKenna stepped up a drilled the putt, and Team Transcript had a birdie on the board with the McCabes still parked in the garage.
There was some fantastic wedge play from the man (I’m the man if you are not paying attention and we have to get my highlights in now because they start to dry up pretty soon) for the next few holes, that led to some birdies as Team Transcript went to 3-under thru four. Life was good.
Team Transcript then jumped on the commuter rail to par, ripping off disappointing ones at 3, 4 and 5, At 3-under thru seven holes. Suddenly, morale was low.
Cashing in on the par-5 sixth helped as the hole turned into a Team Transcript bonding experience, as a Brian McCabe drive, a Joey McCabe mashed 3-wood around the corner, my spiffy wedge and another Miracle McKenna putt banked us a birdie 4.
On No. 7, it looked like our bird would slip out of our hands when three putts burned the hole. Joey drained it.
On No. 8, the bird was in jeopardy after three putts flirted with the hole, Joey drained it.
(Which was made much sweeter with the audience of somehow defending champions Sean Fitzpatrick, Mark Rando and Chris and Sam Maloof, whose 7-under performance came to the great delight of bitter rival Team Transcript. They still managed to scam the long drive and closest to the hole contests. Funny how they win that every year).
Anchorman drove it into the bunker on No. 9, which might be a problem if it wasn’t hole high on a par. With three sprayed out of the trap, he splashed it from the beach to eight feet and another wave of McKenna’s magic wand and we are 7-under and on a four-birdie-binge going into No. 10 and 11, a couple of pitch and putts prime for the picking.
Five holes left. Birdie them all, and we’ve got a shot. We birdied four.
The younger half of the McCabe brigade began to feel it, Brian stuck a wedge on the par-3 12th and trickled it in. Joey pulled his Anchorman routine by burying another testy putt on No. 13. We parred No.14. Just a hard hole.
We briefly entertained visions of an eagle on No. 15 but were happy to get in with another birdie, putting us at 10-under. Short par-4 No. 16 left, let’s get to 11-under and take our chances.
Well, Joey unleashed a ridiculous bomb, a pretty common occurrence over the last few holes, and, yes, as we climbed the hill to take stock of our mediocre approach shots, then one and only McKenna’s ball sat 15 feet from the cup.
We went into prototypical pre-Anchorman routine and pushed one left, pulled one right and left one short before a cold-blooded Joey dropped it in to finish at 11-under. We’ll take our chances with that.
You know how it turn outs. You know we didn’t win. We certainly didn’t lose. Don’t know who did bring up the rear, but my guess is that Don Savi was involved. You definitely don’t want to know that a spontaneous eating contest broke out at an undisclosed Dedham location after the festivities.
What you do want to know is that once again Sal Ledda put on a fantastic event, one that has helped provide the resources for the Dedham High girls soccer team to make the tournament 13 years in row. Bravo.
Lets hope Dedham’s streak stays intact next year. Team Transcript’s won’t.
(Tom Fargo is the Sports Editor for the Daily News Transcript. When he’s not on the links he can be reached at (781) 433-8372 or tfargo@cnc.com.)
