Photo: Jayden Owensby, Davis Wilkins, and Cole Elander sign their letters of intent for college golf programs next season. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Dec 4, 2024-Signing day was also for golf on Wednesday, as three Hernando High School golfers inked letters of intent to play college golf next season. One of the group will be heading to an NCAA Division III program that plays a national schedule while the other two will continue as teammates for new coach Adam Payne’s Northwest Mississippi Community College program.
Jayden Owensby heads to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. Third-year Hernando coach William Bentley said Owensby, one of Mississippi’s top golf seniors, was sold on Huntingdon immediately after he went for his official visit.
“After I talked to him, seeing a smile on his face, I knew he wasn’t going anywhere else,” Bentley said. “They’ve got tremendous facilities there. They have access to the Robert Trent Jones golf trail there. They play a national schedule and they’re one of the top ranked teams in Division Three, year in and year out.”
The Hawks are coached by Dave Schreyer, who has been the school’s Director of Golf since returning to his alma mater in January 2013. A collegiate golfer at Huntingdon, Schreyer became a PGA tour golfer for 17 years and also competed on the Nationwide Tour, South African PGA Tour and NGA Pro Golf Tour. His 10 wins on the NGA Pro Tour rank second all time. Scheyer was also a golf instructor in Atlanta, Georgia before turning to coaching.
On their way to Senatobia and Adam Payne’s program at Northwest are Cole Elander and Davis Wilkins. Payne took over the Rangers’ program in November after coaching the Lewisburg High School team. Payne has also been the Director of Instruction at Wedgewood Golf Club in Olive Branch. He also consulted with Northpoint Christian School on running their golf program, and served as the boys’ head coach there for two seasons (2021-22). Payne was at Lewisburg for both boys’ and girls’ programs since January 2019. In his five years at LHS, his teams won three county championships and three district titles.
Owensby, Elander and Wilkins were part of a Hernando golf team that finished sixth in the MHSAA state meet earlier this fall at Tunica. Owensby finished eight shots off the individual medalist winner Landry Williamson of Germantown (Madison) and one shot off the third-place finisher Tucker Gutierrez of team state winner Madison Central.
Elander finished in a four-way tie for 21 at the state meet and Wilkins also factored in the Tigers’ final finish.
In the past three years, they also helped Hernando win the DeSoto County meet title twice
“They’re the ones that have helped grow our team and we had over 50 plus kids try out last year because of guys like them,” said Bentley. “It’s just a really huge milestone for them to accomplish, taking their golf team to the next level.”
Owensby, Wilkins, and Elander are joined by principal Duane Case, coach William Bentley, and athletic director Nic Brown.From left, Jayden Owensby, Davis Wilkins, and Cole Elander
SPORTS ETC.: On Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period for football players, Lake Cormorant linebacker Jarcoby Hopson Jr. inked his letter of intent to Ole Miss, where he will join former Gator teammate Kamarion Franklin.
4-star LB Jarcoby Hopson has signed with Ole Miss and is officially a Rebel!
The 6-foot-2, 210-lb Hopson is rated a consensus top-15 prospect overall in MS and a consensus top-35 linebacker nationally.
The first commitment to a four-year school from Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball this year was made official Wednesday when middle blocker Kaya Coleman signed with Lincoln Memorial University, Tennessee. A native of Cobden, Ill., Coleman transformed into an everyday starter during her redshirt sophomore season, earning the program’s single-season blocks record (111). She concluded her Northwest career ranking fifth in career blocks, tallying 129 over the past two seasons.
Lewisburg defeated Center Hill in a bowling meet at Southaven’s Strike Zone Lanes Wednesday afternoon.
