Rejoice Christian is the new Class 2A power in golf.
The private school from Owasso, competing in the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association for the first time, won the Class 2A state championship Tuesday at Sugar Creek Canyon in Hinton, while junior Justin Strathe won the individual title.
And the Eagles do not have a senior on their team.
“We should be better next year,” Strathe said.
Rejoice Christian also has some talented golfers in middle school, Eagles' golf coach Joyce Deason said.
“I think we will be in contention for a few years,” she said.
In addition, Katie-Lee Wilson of Rejoice Christian won the girls 2A title last week.
What might have been for Hinton
When three-time defending 2A champ Oklahoma Christian School was bumped to Class 3A this season, Hinton coach Greg George thought his Comets might win their first state championship in golf.
But then Rejoice Christian joined the OSSAA in Class 2A. The Comets finished two strokes behind the Eagles for the team title.
“We thought it was our year coming in. With OCS moving up, it was our chance,” George said. “Getting word of Rejoice Christian joining made it kind of tough. To compete against (private) schools, it's obvious, the bragging of the personal swing coaches that everyone has, it's a tough pill to swallow for public kids who don't get the same.”
Ed Godfrey was born in Muskogee and raised in Stigler. He has worked at The Oklahoman for 25 years.
During that time, he has worked a myriad of beats for The Oklahoman including both the federal and county courthouse in Oklahoma City for...
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