Area golfers lead way in FWJGA Championships

Aledo High School has a strong history of success in the Fort Worth Junior Golf Association Boys and Girls Championships. Most recently, this includes former Bearcats Braylon Mahanay and Braden Stokes winning the overall boys titles in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Mahanay went on to play for Weatherford College for two years and is now playing at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He qualified for the Class 5A State Tournament twice, once with the entire Bearcats team in 2022 and on his own in 2023.

Stokes recently competed at state for a third straight time as an individual and will be playing for the University of Texas at Tyler in the fall.

This year Stokes tied for eighth in the Boys Championship Flight, shooting a four-day score of 296 (77-68-74-77).

Another former Aledo golfer competing in the field was Emily Crick, who also reached state three times as a Ladycat in 2023 with the team and again in 2025 and 2026 individually. She placed fifth in the Girls Championship Flight, posting a 316 (73-75-83-85).

Crick is going to be playing for Texas Wesleyan in the fall.

The annual Fort Worth Junior Golf Championships are a test of skill and endurance as the competition covers up to four days, depending on which division golfers are competing in. It is played on a variety of courses in the Fort Worth area.

Area winners

Ladycat Sierra Purdon captured the top spot in the Fifth Flight of Division I in the Girls Championship. She posted a two-day score of 179, bouncing back from an opening round of 95 to shoot 84 the second day.

CB Cole of Aledo placed first in the Fourth Flight of the Boys 11-13 age group, playing nine holes each day. He had rounds of 37-32 for a 69 total.

Owen Nickerson of Aledo tied for the lowest score in the Fifth Flight of older Boys Championship, shooting back-to-back rounds of 80. He lost in a playoff, however.

The First Flight of the Boys 11-13 division featured some intense action that included a trio of Aledo golfers near the top, a stroke out of first. Graham Stowe, Cannon Cole and Miller DeFord each had rounds of 37-32 to shoot 69.

Other top finishers

Girls

Championship Flight

3. Kennedy Bailey, Aledo, 76-74-75-82 = 307.

First Flight

4. Sydney Purdon, Aledo, 80-81-80-84 = 325.

5. Sailor Chen, Weatherford, 83-79-79-85 = 326.

Second Flight

5. Ava Cordary, Weatherford, 82-86-93-89 = 350.

7. Ainsley Henze, Aledo, 92-87-86-95 = 360.

Third Flight

3. Harper Price, Aledo, 93-92-92-93 = 370.

Fifth Flight

4. Libby Kirkland, Aledo, 97-88 = 185.

Sixth Flight

2. Morgan Gahagan, Aledo, 110-101 = 211.

Boys

Second Flight

T-5. Jett Westmoreland, Brock, 80-74-76-83 = 313.

Third Flight

T-7. Cain Goggans, Aledo, 83-74-84-84 = 325.

T-7. Daniel Faddis, Weatherford, 81-78-80-86 = 325.

Fourth Flight

T-8. Pierce Russom, Aledo, 79-79 = 158.

Fifth Flight

8. Kanon Weaver, Aledo, 82-82 = 164.

Seventh Flight

T-3. Henry Reynolds, Willow Park, 90-86 = 176.

T-6. Levi Gray, Weatherford, 92-86 = 178.

Eighth Flight

T-8. Riley Brock, Aledo, 95-95 = 190.

T-8. Kason Weaver, Aledo, 95-95 = 190.

11-13 division (nine holes)

Third Flight

T-3. Hunter Hubenthal, Aledo, 50-39 = 89.

T-3. Hunter Hamman, Aledo, 51-38 = 89.

10-Under (nine holes, shorter distances)

Second Flight

2. Jack Alistair, Aledo, 23-25 = 48.