Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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24 UCW MARCH 28-APRIL 3, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM For Jack Britt junior golfer Spencer Oxendine, his weekly focus isn't on the matches he's playing for the Buccaneer golf team in the Sandhills Athletic Conference. Sure, they're important. But Oxendine is looking at the long game – and not just his drives. "I keep looking toward my end goal, which is to be on the PGA Tour and be one of the top players in the world,'' Oxendine said. Toward that end, the mental aspect of golf has become as important to him as the physical. He's spent a lot of time talking with Press McPhaul, his future golf coach at North Carolina State. "He and I dove into the mind aspect of the golf game,'' Oxendine said. "He's got me looking for- ward, not more of the week-to-week scores, more of a process.'' He's also been having sessions with a sports psy- chologist. "She's got my mind in the right spot,'' he said. "I've grown a lot.'' But he hasn't ignored the physical part of the sport either. He spent more time lifting weights last year, and he's added some distance off the tee. "His game is real sharp, his control through the bag, from driver down to the put- ter," said Britt golf coach Ray Musselwhite. "It's a complete game right now. He's real com- fortable with his swing. He's increased his club-head speed.'' In the first two regular-sea- son matches in the Sandhills Athletic Conference, Oxendine recorded consecutive rounds of 68 at the Bayonet at Puppy Creek and Gates Four. Musselwhite said that's the result of consistent ball striking, controlling the ball and the flow of the round. at's not to say everything has been perfect for Oxendine so far. "He stumbled and had a couple of bogeys and holes that gave him trouble,'' Musselwhite said. "To bounce back from that, to regroup, is showing the level of golf maturity that's necessary to compete at a high level.'' As far as the regular season is concerned, Oxendine is likely competing at the highest level he's ever had to because of the difficulty of the competition. Realignment of conferences by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association moved Britt into the Sandhills Athletic Conference with Pinecrest, which has won the last three state 4-A team golf champion- ships and had two of the last three individual winners. "I need to hit fairways and I need to hit greens,'' Oxendine said. "I can't shrug it off.'' At the same time, he continues focusing on the long game. "I don't really worry about my numbers and where I'm at in the field,'' he said. "ere's a lot less focus on that, more thinking about my future and what I want to do.'' One goal Oxendine is looking toward is this year's state 4-A championship. In last year's state meet he finished in a three-way tie for ninth at Pinehurst No. 6, shooting 75-73-148. at was 12 shots behind state champion A.J. Beechler of Pinecrest. is season, he thinks he's one of five players around the state that will be serious contenders for the title. "I know all the guys that are going to contend and I think I have a good shot at it,'' he said. "If I don't win, it's not the end of the world. "But I would love to win it because of the list of guys that have won it. I definitely have a great chance at it.'' HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Jack Britt's Oxendine aims for PGA Tour by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Cumberland County Football Jamboree schedule by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Spencer Oxendine The schedule and sites for this year's annual Cumberland County Football Jamboree have been set. e two-day event will be held at Pine Forest High School and Jack Britt High School, with games at Pine Forest on Aug. 8 and Jack Britt on Aug. 9. e format will be as in previous years, with two separate scrimmages going on at the same time in each time block, two teams playing on one half of the field and two teams on the other half. Here is this year's schedule. Aug. 8, at Pine Forest • 6 p.m. - Farmville Central vs. Westover, Rolesville vs. Overhills. • 7 p.m. - Union Pines vs. E.E. Smith, Triton vs. Terry Sanford. • 8 p.m. - Scotland vs. Cape Fear, Lumberton vs. Pine Forest. Aug. 9, at Jack Britt • 6 p.m. - St. Pauls vs. Douglas Byrd, West Bladen vs. Gray's Creek. • 7 p.m. - East Montgomery vs. Hoke County, Eastern Wayne vs. South View. • 8 p.m. - Lee County vs. Seventy-First, Apex Friendship vs. Jack Britt. ere will only be one high school Easter base- ball tournament in Cumberland County this year. Douglas Byrd will not be hosting its tournament this season, leaving the Easter tournament at Terry Sanford the only one in town. e tournament dates are March 31-April 3. Up & Coming Weekly was going to preview the tournament and include the game schedule in this week's issue. Unfortunately, there were some last-minute changes in the teams taking part in the event, and the field could not be finalized prior to the deadline for this week's print issue. Look for an online-only story on the tournament once the field has been determined, and also informa- tion on the Pitt County Classic in Greenville, which includes two Cumberland County teams, Pine Forest and South View. Attention Students: Let Your Voice Be Heard Get published in our award-winning community newspaper Up & Coming Weekly Send in your feature articles, editorials, short stories, movie and music reviews or original poetry and artwork to: highschoolhighlights@upandcomingweekly.com Subject line: High School Highlights Please include your photo and school information.