The number 92 lingered with Eric Dugas throughout the better part of his sophomore year at Maine Central Institute and into this past summer.

It was a reminder for Dugas, as talented as a golfer as he may be, that there was still room for improvement.

“I didn’t want to let my team down again like I did last year,” Dugas, now a junior, said. “If I could have put a round together like I should have we should have won last year.”

Dugas shot a 20-over-par 92 at the Class B championship last season as the Huskies fell short of Camden Hills by 16 strokes for the title. MCI came up short again as a team this fall and finished in third place once again, but Dugas made sure he did his part.

The junior carded a team-low 76 — the second lowest score in Class B that day — and the following week at the individual championships he finished tied for fourth with a 77, three shots back of co-champions Nick Mazurek of Oceanside and Ryan Collins of Cape Elizabeth. For his efforts, Dugas has been named the 2015 Morning Sentinel Golfer of the Year. Messalonskee High School teammates Billy Rollins and Dylan Burton were also considered.

“He plays competitive golf all summer long,” MCI coach Paul Greco said. “…He does something everyday — either chips, putts, plays, plays in another tournament somewhere. Him and (teammate) Carter Pearl.”

Dugas said his road to improvement began shortly after the 2014 season ended.

“Over the winter I worked out so I gained some distance,” Dugas said, “and I worked with my dad quite a bit.”

Family also played a critical role for Dugas. His older brother, Gavin, was the 2014 Morning Sentinel Golfer of the Year and is coming off a strong freshman season at Southern New Hampshire University, while his father, Mike, is the professional at the family-owned JW Parks Golf Course in Pittsfield.

“He got my swing in shape over the summer,” Eric Dugas said of his father. “Normally when I’m hitting sideways I’ll go to my dad and ask-him what I need to do and he’ll just tell. I’ll go to the range and I’ll just listen to what he says.”

Not surprisingly, Greco says he sees similarities in both of the Dugas brothers’ games — particularly in this development. Gavin Dugas took big a step forward in his junior year and knocked on the door of a Class B individual championship, ultimately capturing that title in his senior season.

Much like his older brother, Eric Dugas took a big step forward this season and seems ready to challenge for an individual title of his own in Class B.

“It looks like — and I hope so — that Eric is on that same path,” Greco said.

Evan Crawley — 621-5640

ecrawley@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @evan_Crawley