The stars come out for the Warhorse Classic
Roy Williams, Brad Johnson and Owen Hall of Famers headline annual fundraising golf tournament
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
July 27, 2024
It was a high noon start, July 26, as the Warhorse Classic teed off for year 37, but the stars were out at the Black Mountain Golf Course.
The annual golf tournament supporting the Owen football team featured appearances by an array of Owen High School Athletic Hall of Famers and a capacity crowd.
Approximately 128 competitors in the four-person scramble-style event were greeted by Basketball Hall of Fame and retired UNC head coach and three-time National Champion Roy Williams. The Marion native, who recorded 903 wins in his 33-year coaching career, led the basketball and golf programs at Owen from 1973 to 1978, while serving as an assistant coach for the school’s ninth grade football team.
“Owen High School was great to me and I always try to do what I can for Owen,” Williams said.
While a prior engagement prevented the coach from playing in the tournament, Williams recalled his first experience on the Black Mountain Golf Course.
“We played nine holes and I shot a 33 on the front 9,” he said. “If I shot a 33 today it would be because they let me start on hole number 4.”
Williams was introduced by retired Owen football head coach Kenny Ford, who began organizing the fundraiser in 1987. Ford, who retired from the position following the 2014 season with 230 wins and 14 conference championships, continues to support the team he played for and coached.
“Playing for and supporting the Owen football team is something that has bonded people in this valley for as long as I can remember,” Ford said. “This tournament brings generations of players, coaches and Warhorse supporters together every year, and gives them a chance to do something for the program that means so much to a lot of us.”
Ford’s former player, Brad Johnson, who won a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, returned to his former hometown to compete in the Classic.
"Brad’s done so much for this program and this tournament over the years, and I can’t tell you how much it means to me, personally, and the generations of Warhorses who have come after him,” Ford said.
While at least a dozen current members of the Owen High School Athletic Hall of Fame participated in the event, former longtime Black Mountain Mayor Carl Bartlett was recognized for his lifelong commitment to the school. Bartlett, who announced the Warhorses home football games for 45 years before stepping down in 2021, was presented with a golden microphone.
“This is the microphone from Shuford Field, and when we moved to the current stadium it went with us,” said former longtime Owen Athletic Booster Club President Roger Brown. “Now it’s been retired, and gold plated, and I’m honored to present it to Carl Bartlett today. We couldn’t have done it without you, Carl.”
Williams presented Bartlett, a member of the first freshman class at Owen in 1954, with the keepsake.
The tournament was sponsored by the Black Mountain Men’s Golf Association and Pepsi.
“It takes a lot of people to pull this thing off every year,” Ford said. “They are the folks who make this thing so special.”
Slow-cooked ribs and chicken were provided by current Black Mountain Mayor and former Warhorse football player Mike Sobol, Mike Raines and Allen Styles, while the Green Tee Grille, owned and operated by Owen graduate Karen Davis, provided sides.
“It’s like an Owen family reunion every year,” Ford said. “And, judging by how fast it filled up this year, I think it’s something a lot of Swannanoa Valley folks look forward to.”
Photos of the 2024 Warhorse Classic golf tournament can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.