Could change be in the air in local high school golf?

Perhaps, but don’t be too sure. Yes, the defending champion Bishop Guertin High School golf team has lost a lot to graduation, but the Cardinals usually reload rather than rebuild.

Still, at Nashua North, one of the state’s best golfers, sophomore Brandon Gillis, would love to lead his team to tournament glory.

Gillis tied for medalist in the state team tourney, in which the Titans finished sixth, their best spot ever. He won the state individual crown.

“All eyes will be on Brandon,” North coach Scott Anderson said. “Now it’s up to his teammates on who will step up. Returning four of last year’s top five players should make for a competitive team. … I’m very optimistic on how this team will do; we’re deeper than we have been in the past.”

Guertin, meanwhile, for once doesn’t have that returnee luxury.

“We graduated five seniors from last year’s team, so we’ll be a bit inexperienced,” Guertin coach Paul Rousseau said.

“As a team we hope to improve each week and qualify for the state tournament.”

And then, once that happens, anything is possible. The key component the Cards return is senior Chelsea Sedlar, the state individual girls champion.

Elsewhere locally in Division I, Nashua South could make strides this season after missing last year’s tourney. Alvirne was hurt by some eligibility and graduation losses, while Merrimack is young.

In Division II, watch out for Hollis Brookline, which has a new coach, Sky Meadow PGA teaching pro James Turner, as the Cavs look to improve on last year’s 12th place finish.

Souhegan will be led by returning junior August Darula, and Milford has its best numbers in a while.

Meanwhile, Campbell may be able to even improve on last year’s impressive 17-5, fifth-place finish in Division III.

DIVISION I

ALVIRNE

COACH: Bob Lund (seventh year)

2013: 11-19, did not qualify for tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Grant Nuttal, sr.; Jack Brown, so., Jeremy Dowd, jr.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Brett Pitre, sr.; Nick Boudreau, jr., Jessica Lortie, fr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “It’s going to be tough,” Lund said. “We need five scorers, and I’d say right now we have three or four. We need five or six players who will hang in there.”

BISHOP GUERTIN

COACH: Paul Rousseau (sixth season)

2013: 24-6, state champions

RETURNING REGULARS: Ryan Montbleau, sr.; Chelsea Sedlar, sr.; Morgan DiPasquale, jr., Tom Ethier, so.

PROMOSING NEWCOMERS: Wally Kwiecinski, sr.; Jake O’Donnell, sr.; Courtney Otto, sr.; Eric Loconto, so.; Cam Sheedy, fr.; Ryan Fitzgerald, fr.; Graham Diack, fr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “We graduated five seniors from last year’s team,” Rousseau said, “so we will be a bit inexperienced.”

MERRIMACK

COACH: Dave Delisle (15th season)

2013: 15-13, did not place in state tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Brennan Gillis, jr.; Zak Kerr, jr.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Jake Chambers, jr.; Jon Dinsmore, so.; Matt Kratman, so. Nick Edgeworth, fr.; Oen Ploss, fr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “We have a very young team this year,” Delisle said, “and time will tell how we do.”

NASHUA NORTH

COACH: Scott Anderson (10th year)

2013: 18-2, sixth in state tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Brandon Gillis, so.; Mike Jensen, jr.; Tom Hyland, sr.; Brian Proventure, sr.; Brenan Kastens, sr.

OTHER RETURNING LETTER WINNERS: Ryan Marvin, sr.; Bobby Chisolm, jr.; Brendan Martin, so.; Ben Pelletier, so.; Alex Richard, so.; George Trabucchi, so.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Returning four of last year’s top five players should make for a competitive team,” Anderson said.

NASHUA SOUTH

COACH: Steve Lane

2013: Did not qualify for state tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Sam Nielsen, sr.; Christian Sullivan, sr.; Jeff Mitchell, sr.; Peter McManus, jr.; Luke Anzel, so.

OTHER RETURNEES/NEWCOMERS: None.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “We have some experience coming back, some kids who committed over the summer,” Lane said.

DIVISION II

HOLLIS BROOKLINE

COACH: James Turner (first year)

2013: 10-10, 12th in state tournament

RETURNING REGULARS: Dan Ash, sr.; David Walsh, sr.; Alex McCalmount, sr.; Brett Beldon, jr.; Jack Shields, jr.; Josh Farmer, so.; Kris Johnson, so.; Nick White, so.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Pat MacDonald, fr.; Chris Cadman, fr.; Cory Quinn, sr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “I feel like we have a great foundation to become a top team in our division,” Turner said. “We have many returning players with great fundamentals.”

MILFORD

COACH: Bill Soubosky (seventh year)

2013: 3-17, did not qualify for state tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Evan Ryan, so.; Weston Pare, so.; Mitchell Lepine, so.; Nick Cauley, so.; Shane Winnett, so.; Matt Paul, jr.; Ethan Brocklehurst, jr.; Brenden White, sr.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: Nick Gutterson, so.; Hunter Hoffman, fr.; Grant Bonczar, fr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “The future looks bright with our youth and the fact we had 17 kids come out,” Soubosky said. “The sophomores’ performance is our key for a playoff spot.”

SOUHEGAN

COACH: Bill Robes (second year)

2013: N/A

RETURNING REGULARS: August Darula, jr.; Alex Medic, sr.; Ryan Stankiewicz, so.; Mitch Hubert, sr. Ibaad Nazeer, so.; Jorick Ehrenstein, jr.; Tom Stover, sr.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: James Kibbie, jr.; Jack Kane, fr., David Wicczerzaki, jr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “Things have been excellent,” Robes said. “We have three players who have shown over and over their experience and the attitude is great.”

DIVISION III

CAMPBELL

COACH: Jeff O’Donnell (second year)

2013: 17-5, fifth in state tourney

RETURNING REGULARS: Austin Baker, sr.; Tyler Butler, sr.; Justin DiBenidetto, sr.; Ryan Glendye, sr; Jeremy Wirbal, sr.; Trevor Roche, jr.; Cole Ryan, so.

PROMISING NEWCOMERS: James Cardello, fr.; Colin Tanguay, fr.

COACH’S COMMENTS: “We lost our two best players, but we have a lot of seniors and I think we’ll be as good or better than last year,” O’Donnell said.

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