FBA makes big news on prep golf scene
By Steve Williams
First Baptist Academy in Powell is one of the smallest high schools in Knox County enrollment-wise, but its boys’ golf team recently won the county’s biggest regular season tournament on the 2024 calendar.
FBA took top honors in the 5Star Preps Masters, which included 12 Knox County boys teams in its field of 19, for the first time in school history.
The Eagles, despite not having any seniors, combined for a 6-under-par total of 426 in a rain shortened 27 holes of play at the Three Ridges Golf Course on July 30-31.
Christian Academy of Knoxville and Maryville tied for second place with even-par totals of 432.
“That’s the best we’ve ever played as a team in that tournament,” said FBA Co-coach Johnny Cox. “CAK usually wins that, but they had a player playing in a national tournament and then they had one that broke his hand. So that’s why I say we are one of the best teams (in the county). But we still won.”
Cox expects the competition with CAK, a perennial state power with nine titles, to continue throughout the season, as the two Division II schools are in the same classification.
Max Green led FBA with a 3-under 69-36-105. His sophomore twin brother, Alex Green, contributed a 1-under 71, in the opening round.
Junior Brady Morris’ totaled a 1-under 71-36-107. Lane Stokes, a junior, carded a 1-over 73-36-109. Sophomore Luke McGhee turned in a 2-under 34 on his nine holes on the second day.
Jessie Clowers, a junior, shot a 77 but it didn’t figure into FBA’s team total.
First Baptist’s wife-husband coaching combo of Karen and Johnny Cox has been the key to the Eagles’ climb over the years.
“We’ve been to the state tournament the last two years,” said Johnny. “The players wanted us to come back.”
The co-coaches have been with the program for eight years.
“If they were going to build a program, we told them they would have to start in middle school, get a swing coach and also play against strong competition in summer tournaments because that’s where they learn,” added Johnny.
Halls won the girls’ team title as Madison Miller tallied a 1-over 74-35-109 and Lauren Davis shot 77-35-112 for a 221 total. Runner-up CAK finished two strokes back at 223.
The girls’ individual championship went to Gibbs’ Brook Farmer, who fired a 6-under 66-36-102, while Maryville’s Leo Huddleston was the boys’ champion with a 7-under 69-32-101.
MILLS INVITATIONAL: The FBA boys played in their second tournament of the season on July 5 in the Mike Mills Invitational at Morristown and placed third five strokes behind co-finishers Bearden and Morristown West. Bearden won a three-hole playoff to claim the title.
