For the first time in school history Jemison has a girls golf team, and things could not have started any better after a victory against John Carroll High School in its first ever match on March 22.

Gentry Scott, only a freshman, has represented the program as the lone girl in recent years and could only compete in individual events.

However, this year she has teammates in senior Mary Stokes and sophomore Makenna Wiseman. A school must have three players in order to compete as a team.

The Panthers defeated John Carroll by 130-147 at the match, which was held at the Oxmoor Valley Golf Course in Homewood and is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

The final total was a combination of the scores posted by each member of the team.

Scott shot an impressive low round of 32 over nine holes, while Stokes posted a 46 and Wiseman finished at 52.

“Me and her [Wiseman] used to cheer together, but in cheer you can’t really win,” Stokes said. “When we won in golf, it was a pretty big deal.”

The match against John Carroll was only the second match that Wiseman had taken part in.

“It’s a honor to win this one for our school,” Wiseman said.

According to Stokes, she could sense that there was something special about the day, after she made her first par toward the middle of the round.

After three years of being on her own, Scott is grateful to have teammates to share her experiences with.

“I’ve been looking forward to it this whole school year,” Scott said. “I’m really just happy to be part of a team.”

Despite still being in the early stages of the team, the goal of reaching Sub-state is not unrealistic to the three of them.

They enjoy playing for head coach Stacy Mcgehee and the calming influence that he has even during the pressure situations of a competition.

“He just wants us to have fun, while critiquing us in his own way,” Scott said.

As for Stokes, her golf moto is simple, “if you look good, you play good.”

If the Jemison girls continue to win, Stokes philosophy for success may prove to be the next big thing.