The Branson boys golf team captured the MCAL championship at Stone Tree Golf Club on May 7, defeating rival Marin Catholic 399-401.
The two stroke victory secured the program’s first MCAL title in recent years and finished off a strong 13-3 regular season.
“I was super excited going into the championships with all the new guys and essentially a new program to really put ourselves to the test,” team captain Carl Smith ‘26 said. “We really wanted to see if we couldn’t win it all.”
The win marked a significant improvement from the previous year’s 11-5 finish, which started with players who dedicated their off season to golf.
“The work everyone put in during the summer really showed up when the pressure was on today,” Kai Sarkar ’26 said. “We knew every single putt would count against a team like MC.”
Heading into the finals, the Bulls were focused on putting their losses behind them and overcoming their only two league losses of the season, both of which came against the Wildcats by small margins.
“We just needed to execute and trust our teammates,” Sarkar said. “We have the talent across the board but against MC in the past, it just hasn’t shown up.”
That talent was led by Sarkar himself, who shot a team best 77 to secure the victory. His performance helped the Bulls maintain their narrow lead.
For seniors Carl Smith and Barry Liu ‘26, the victory represented the finale of a four year journey. Both players competed in the MCAL championship every year of their high school careers, watching the program undergo a complete “rebuild” to reach this moment.
“Winning this as a senior is a feeling I can’t even describe,” Jonah Sher ‘26 said. “To go from a 11-5 season last year to MCAL champions today shows how much this team has changed.”
The championship victory at Stone Tree officially ended the program’s seven year drought and puts the 2026 team in the Bull history books as one of the most successful in school history.
“To finally bring this home is exactly how I wanted to finish my senior season.” Smith said.
