Staff photo / Neel Madhavan Poland’s Angelo Rinaldi tees off for a practice round on Monday at Knoll Run Golf Course in Lowellville.

POLAND — It’s been seven years, but the Poland boys golf team is finally heading back to the state tournament.

After finishing second at the Division II Northeast district tournament at Windmill Lakes Golf Club last week, the Bulldogs will compete in the Division III state championship at the Firestone Country Club North Course in Akron on Monday and Sunday.

“We’ve got a young team,” second-year head coach Pat Carden said. “We were kind of able to see last year, knowing we were hoping to get to this point this year, and just watching the other guys develop as well. It’s a really nice team all around and we feel comfortable with a lot of guys. So it’s exciting that we get there. I think they put a little bit of pressure on themselves to do it, and now I’m hoping that they get relieved of that a little bit in getting there and just have a fun experience for them.”

Poland started the season strong with a win in a Northeast 8 Conference match, then posted a season-best showing at the Warren JFK Invitational, where they shot 300 to win by eight strokes against a deep, 27-team field consisting of teams from all around northeast Ohio.

The Bulldogs also set a pair of school records in early September at a match with Girard and Warren G. Harding at Mahoning Country Club. The team set a nine-hole record with a 3-under par 137, which was accompanied by sophomore Matthew Morrone setting the individual program nine-hole record with a 5-under par 30.

Then, in the middle of the season, Poland lost three matches by a combined three strokes. But the Bulldogs bounced back by winning the NE8 tournament for the second year in a row and their sectional tournament at Windmill Lakes.

“(After the JFK tournament), the next couple of rounds weren’t quite as low, and we were getting disappointed in ourselves,” Carden said. “But I was just trying to tell them, every day is not going to be that good. We lost a few (close) matches, and that’s where we told them that course management — every stroke matters. You don’t always have to make the hero play, just make the smart play.”

Last year, in Carden’s first season coaching the team, Poland finished tied for sixth at districts, missing out on qualifying for states by just five shots with a team score of 332.

The Bulldogs knew they were right on the cusp, they just had to take that next step forward.

This time around, the Bulldogs left no doubts at the district tournament, shaving 20 strokes off their score from last year to shoot 312 and finish second behind first-place Chagrin Falls (305).

Morrone shot 72 to finish as individual runner-up, while fellow sophomore Angelo Rinaldi shot 73 to take third. Sophomore Ryan Lombardo shot 80, as juniors AJ Battalgia and Zach Ohlin shot 87 and 89, respectively.

“We knew there were some really good teams in our district — we thought there were probably five or six teams that could really get out this year,” Carden said. “I think last year we were able to always put together one or two (individual) scores. This year, it seems like we’re able to get that team aspect a little bit more. I think the pressure is off the No. 1 and No. 2 man because they feel like they have guys behind them that can score low as well, which obviously helps them play better in their own way.”

Rinaldi, who plays in Poland’s No. 1 spot, had the opportunity to make it to states last year as an individual qualifier. He shot 154 over the course of two rounds to finish tied for 11th in Division II last year.

Rinaldi is using his experience last year to help his teammates prepare for what to expect when competing in the state tournament.

“I’ll help them out (because) shot matters at states, every putt, everything,” Rinaldi said. “You just gotta take every shot seriously.”

Morrone accompanied Rinaldi to states last year, and even though he didn’t play, he was still able to get a feel for what to expect.

“Having two guys down there really helped, even though only one was playing,” Carden said. “But they see that process. A lot of these guys have played tournament-style golf — they’re in Greatest Golfer, Junior PGA and stuff like that, so tournaments for them are not unfamiliar territory.”

While Rinaldi is glad to be going back to states, he’s happier to be making the trip with the rest of his Bulldogs teammates this time around.

“I feel like it’s going to be a fun time in general for all of us,” Rinaldi said. “We’re just going to have a lot of fun and leave what happens out on the course and enjoy our time down there.”

Poland tees off the first day of the Division II state tournament at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday at Firestone’s North Course in Akron.