Milton High's golf team has sent an individual qualifier to the MIAA Division 2 State tournament three years running. This fall, the Wildcats want to get there together.

At 4-4 through eight matches, Milton is chasing something the program has never accomplished: a full-squad state tournament berth. Senior captain Devin Prince qualified individually in 2024. Jack Dunn made it in 2025. Johnny Gillooly won the sectional title in 2023. None of those seasons produced a team berth.

The season opened Monday, Aug. 31 at the Milton Hoosic Club with a statement win. Milton shot a combined 220 to Canton's 235, topping the Bulldogs, who won the Division 2 state championship last spring. Prince led with a 34. Dunn and senior captain Jack Naughton each carded 36, according to the Milton Times.

Canton head coach Mike Barucci told the Canton Citizen after the loss that he saw room for improvement ahead of tougher matches on the schedule.

Losses to Brookline and Wellesley followed. Milton bounced back with wins over Westwood on Sept. 8 and Needham on Sept. 9, then went 1-2 in three matches between Sept. 15 and Sept. 17 against Braintree and Needham. Ben Tosi recorded an eagle at Wollaston Golf Club's fifth hole during the Sept. 15 loss to Braintree.

The depth stands out. Head coach Rick McCready said the Bay State Conference's move to a stroke play format — 10 players compete with the top 6 scores counting toward the team total — makes depth critical, and all 12 varsity players have posted scores that counted in matches this season. Four different golfers have recorded the team's lowest round across the first eight matches.

Prince holds the team's lowest scoring average, with juniors Ben Twitchell and Tosi close behind. Sophomore Brendan Ellis shot a season-low 37 in Milton's second win over Needham. Juniors Charles Talbot and Patrick O'Leary, sophomore Dylan Feloney, sophomore Hunter Arbour, senior Teddy Dunn and senior Nicholas Boulougouras round out the contributing roster.

Under MIAA rules, teams must win at least 50% of their matches to qualify for sectionals. The regular season ends Oct. 15, with sectionals set for Oct. 20-21 and state finals Oct. 26-27. Milton needs to finish at .500 or better to earn a team berth.

The schedule tilts in Milton's favor down the stretch. Milton hosts Framingham at Granite Links on Sept. 28, and Weymouth is on the slate Sept. 29-30. The closing stretch features Natick, Walpole twice and Medfield.

This is also the last season under the current postseason format. The MIAA Board of Directors voted 17-0 on Sept. 16 to overhaul golf starting in 2027, eliminating sectional tournaments in favor of a ranking-based system, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported.

Milton's next match is Monday, Sept. 28 against Framingham at Granite Links.