Aug. 9—TUPELO — Levi Bishop is getting his Tupelo golf team ready for a quick turnaround.
The MHSAA moved golf from the spring to the fall starting with this school year. So, a little more than three months after the state championships, teams are about to start a new season.
Bishop’s Tupelo squad opens play Aug. 15 at Madison Central’s Big Blue Tournament. He sees mostly positives in golf’s move to fall.
“They played all summer, so they’re already in the swing of things coming off their summer events,” Bishop said. “Where as usually we’re trying to kickstart them, and just as they’re getting in the swing of things, you hit state championships, and they roll right into their summer. So we’re catching the back end of that now, which I feel like is a huge positive for these kids.”
The Golden Wave boys return everyone from last season. After winning the Class 6A state title in 2022 — the program’s 16th — Tupelo finished fourth last year. Madison Central took top honors.
Senior Clay Cordell, sophomore Wesley Henson, senior William Henson, senior Andrew Miller, sophomore Jack Morris and sophomore John Avery Storey lead this year’s squad. Juniors Baylor McCarty and Luke Williamson are also in the mix.
Bishop expects the Wave to be a contender this fall.
“I project us in the top three. Off of the scores from last year, it’s us, Germantown and Madison,” he said.
Bishop understands what’s expected of Tupelo golf. He’s worked for the school district since 2010, serving as a varsity assistant baseball coach for several years before taking on the golf team. He was also recently given the role of activities director and baseball coach at Tupelo Middle School.
The 2005 Saltillo graduate said coaching golf requires just the right touch.
“It’s more of just making sure to keep them on track and not waste time, which helps now, being in the fall,” Bishop said. “Better weather, more daylight. You have a little more leeway in letting those kids figure out how they need to go about it.”