Courtesy photo A happy group of Hollis Brookline golfers and coaches show off their Division II state title plaque won at Keene Country Club on Thursday.

Mission accomplished.

There’s no question the Hollis Brookline High School golf team was on a quest this fall to bring home the Division II championship after being relegated to second last year without even competing.

Thursday they reached their goal on a tough Keene Country Club course, finishing with a four-golfer total of 326, four shots better than Oyster River and well ahead of third place Windham (348).

“Oh, man, they worked so hard last year and to get cut short like that was a huge deal,” Cavaliers coach Shaun Hastings said. “They had to play really smart and that was one of the conversations we had last week.”

Locally, Alvirne finished seventh at 363. Souhegan was 13th at 436.

For the Cavs, Garrett and Grady Sturges led the way with a seven-over 79 each. Rory Klauber had an 82 while Matt Dias an 86.

“I tell you, you can ask anybody who played today, or any coach or spectator who was there, those greens were tough,” Hastings said. “The pins were in relatively tough places, but I can’t tell you how many people would chip onto the green and the ball would roll off 10 feet because the greens were sloped so much. It was very frustrating for a lot of them. But I tell you what, the boys, with all the adversity – and not just my team – just stuck right with it.”

Oyster River’s Josh Phillps had a 78 but none of the other Bobcat scorers broke 80.

“When you say who put us over the top, it’s got to be all the boys,” Hastings said. “It was just Oyster River and us the whole match.”

Noah LeClair, as he has all season, led the Broncos, tying with the Sturges brothers at 79. Ethan Doran had an 88, while Alex Blais and Ashton Meuse each had a 98 on the very tough Keene CC course.

“Our team represented very well,” said Broncos coach Sy Tebbetts. “There is a lot to be encouraged by the play today and this season. There were no seniors on the team and they all gained experience and confidence they will take with them next fall.”

Liam Deselle had 100 to lead Souhegan.

The medalist for the day was Ben Dougherty of Kennett with a five-over 77. Phillips was second and the Sturges brothers tied for third with LeClair and Kennett’s Colby Hall.

Dias and Klauber also made the cut by a stroke to the second individual day, Oct. 25 at Windham Country Club. HB’s Cayden Plummer just missed with an 87 as did Bronco Doran at 88 and Milford’s Jacob Dube with an 89.

In any event, the Cavs have the crown they’d been craving ever since rain cancelled last year’s tourney at Nashua’s Sky Meadow and the NHIAA deferred to the regular season standings to name Kennett the champ with HB second.

“I remember at practice yesterday I asked them if they were nervous,” Hastings said. “They said ‘Yeah, but it’ a weird type of nervous.'”

No nerves now, just a championship plaque.