The crisp, cool wind blows through the air as golf teams from all over the region gather around the driving range, warming up to take home a win. Every year, the Texas High golf team hosts one girls’ tournament and one boys’ tournament, at the number three private-ranked course in Arkansas, the Texarkana Country Club.
On November 7-8, the boys’ tournament honored the memory of former Texas High coach, Jay Brewer. Numerous schools from surrounding areas travel to Texarkana to participate, and they all compete at a high level with many high performing athletes. Texas High placed twelfth out of 24 with a total score of 625.
“I started working on the tournament back in May, [which is] when I began reaching out to sponsors, and from there it was a steady process of keeping track of commitments and updating details over the months,” head golf coach Charles Cross said. “Running a tournament while coaching is challenging, but the support from the teams and community makes it worth it.”
Cross believes that part of playing the sport of golf includes expecting the most out of the players.
“We played about average in the first round, but we came back and played pretty well in round two,” C. Cross said. “Our region is incredibly tough, and the top two teams in our region finished first and second in this tournament. For us, it’s about getting a little better every day and continuing to chase that level.”
Freshman John Henry Meisenheimer enjoyed playing in the tournament and took the opportunity to learn from experienced golfers who plan to play the sport in college.
“[My proudest moment] was when I made two birdies back to back,” Meisenheimer said. “I was able to keep [making birdies] through the front nine [holes]”
Alongside Meisenheimer, freshman Addison Cross prepared for the tournament by practicing lots of early mornings and late nights.
“When my shots didn’t go as planned, I tried to think about my preparation [for the tournament],” A. Cross said. “I could’ve practiced a little harder, but overall I was really proud of not only my performance, but the team as a whole.”
