Hitting the greens for maroon and white

The action may have been on the greens at Black Mountain Golf Course, but the focus was on maroon and white.

The Warhorse Classic teed off for the 33rd year on July 26, when nearly 100 golfers came out to support the Owen High School football team. 

The annual fundraiser, hosted by the Black Mountain Men’s Golf Association and sponsored by numerous area businesses,is a tradition among former Warhorses and supporters of the program. 

Kenny Ford began organizing the tournaments when he took over as the head coach at Owen in 1986. He continued his involvement with the Warhorse Classic after retiring in 2015. 

“It’s not cheap to pay for all of the things a football team needs,” Ford said. “This tournament lets us support those guys and have fun while doing it.”

Fifth-year head coach Nathan Padgett thanked the 24 teams of four for participating in this year’s Warhorse Classic. 

“This is the biggest fundraiser for our program and it covers a lot of costs for our team,” he said. “We really appreciate each and every one of you.”

Ford delivered the final words before the tournament kicked off.

“We got a lot of Warhorses out here,” he said. “We’re out here to have fun, we’re not doggone professionals. Turn your hat around backwards and get out there and have a good time.”

The event features barbecue, cooked near the 10th hole by Owen alumni Mike Sobol, Mike Raines and others. A raffle with prizes donated by area businesses was held following the tournament. 

“It takes a few days to add up how much we raise each year,” Ford said. “We usually raise around $10,000 and we’ve had some years where we’ve brought in as much as $20,000.”

A check will be presented to the Owen High School Athletics Booster Club when the proceeds are calculated, he added. 

“It’s really something how this community has helped support this team all these years,” Ford said. “We’ve always talked about ‘Warhorse Pride’ and this is what it looks like, right here.”