Warhorse Classic sells out in record time
Annual golf fundraiser generates strong support of Owen football
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
July 11, 2024
Retired Owen football coach Kenny Ford, left, kicks off last year’s Warhorse Classic, with will return, July 26, to the Black Mountain Golf Course. Photo by Fred McCormick
There is no device capable of accurately measuring the Swannanoa Valley’s support for the Owen High School football team, but since its debut in 1987, the Warhorse Classic has served as a de facto barometer.
As the annual fundraising golf tournament returns to the Black Mountain Golf Course, at 12 p.m, Friday, July 26, devotion to maroon and white is at an all-time high.
“We filled it up in four days this year,” said Kenny Ford, who retired as the head coach of the Owen football program in 2015, following a 29-year career on the sidelines of his alma mater. “We almost always sell out, but it happened faster than it’s ever happened before.”
Ford, with the support of the Black Mountain Men’s Golf Association, established the four-person scramble tournament after his first season at the helm, in an effort to support the growing costs associated with the sport. He continued to organize what has evolved into a “Warhorse reunion,” following his retirement.
“It’s like running a football play,” Ford said. “If it’s working, and nobody’s stopping it, I’m going to keep running it.”
While the charismatic coach is the face of the Warhorse Classic, generations of former Owen football players and supporters serve as the backbone of the event.
“A lot of people help out with this thing every year,” he said. “Pepsi is a big part of it, and they always been incredibly supportive of Owen High School through the years. It wouldn’t be what it is without the backing of all the folks who care about this community and school.”
Much like the Warhorse football teams that won 14 conference championships under Ford, everyone involved in the fundraiser embraces their assignments.
Black Mountain Mayor Mike Sobol, Mike Raines and Allen Styles, all of whom played for Owen, slow cook meat between the 18th putting green and 10th tee box, while Green Tee Grille owner and operator Karen Davis, another alumnus of the school, provides the sides.
Slow-cooked chicken and pork between the 10th and 18th holes of the Black Mountain Golf Course is a standing tradition at the Warhorse Classic, which will returns to town, July 26. Photo by Fred McCormick
“Mike, Mike and Allen play a big part in making this thing special,” Ford said. “You come in there with your plate and they put some tenderloin or yard bird on it, right there off the grill. There’s nothing like it.”
The Warhorse Classic also reunites decades of former coaches, as Ford is assisted by now-retired former assistants Anthony Lee, who was Owen’s longtime offense coordinator and head baseball coach for 25 years, and Jack Slaughter, who retired last January after 27 years.
“Anthony and Jack are always helping out,” Ford said. “Just like when we coached together, they just know what to do and get it done. We can always count on them.”
The gathering also brings some of the most well-known athletic figures back to town, according to the organizer. Super Bowl winning quarterback Brad Johnson, a former player under Ford, will be among the competitors in this year’s tournament, while retired University of N.C. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, who began his coaching career in the Swannanoa Valley, is tentatively scheduled to participate.
Former Owen High School quarterback Brad Johnson, who went on to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, is one of many alumni expected to participate in the Warhorse Classic, July 26. Photo by Fred McCormick
While the familiar faces of former players and coaches will fill the majority of the 32-team field, Ford is eager to greet a new one, as he introduces current Owen head coach John Faircloth to tournament supporters.
“I was very fortunate to receive a lot of support from this community when I coached, and it’s important that Coach Faircloth and this team still receive that kind of support,” Ford said. “I know how many things coaches have to worry about, but one thing I don’t ever want this team to have to worry about is this community having their backs.”
A raffle featuring items from local businesses will be held throughout the day, with all of the proceeds going to the Warhorse football team.
“A lot of folks don’t realize how quickly things add up when it comes to football,” Ford said. “Just the stickers on the helmets cost money, so this golf tournament is really the community’s way of showing up for the current players and coaches.
“It’s always fun to see old players, coaches and supporters come together and share old Owen stories on that golf course,” Ford continued. “It’s always a fun time and it’s something so many Warhorses look forward to every summer.”