Olive’s Matlock continues to overcome
CATOOSA — Alexis Matlock worked to keep a steady face like she had so many times throughout her life. The glass trophy in her hands was just too overwhelming and tears slowly fell down her cheeks.
“There’s just so many people that care, like the Lewis family,” Matlock said following the annual Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State golf matches. “It’s just really amazing.”
Matlock, who recently graduated from Olive High School, was named the female winner of the Kyle Lewis Memorial Scholarship on Monday, receiving a $1,000 scholarship as part of the award given annually by the Oklahoma Golf Coaches Association.
Plainview’s Saxon Ross was the male winner. The award has been given out at each All-State event since Lewis’ death eight years ago. A Bethel golfer, he died in a one-car crash driving home from the All-State matches in 2010.
For Matlock, the award is worth more than the scholarship. She has pushed through a life full of heartbreak.
When she was 3, her mom was killed during an crash in which she drove drunk.
Matlock’s father struggled with that and began a life full of drugs. He ended up in prison when Matlock was 10. She had already moved in with her grandparents, leaving Tulsa for the tiny community 45 minutes west.
And Matlock’s grandfather died three days after this spring’s opening golf tournament.
“Of everything that she’s had to go through, the fact that she’s even a halfway functioning normal teenager, it’s an amazing testament to not only her grandparents — who have done an excellent job raising her — and to her,” Olive coach Matt Warwick said. “She’s a tough little girl.” Matlock will play at Coffeyville Community College and any extra help she can get is viewed as a blessing.
“I didn’t let myself make excuses for what happened,” Matlock said. “Just being out of the house doing something productive that I knew I could push forward in has helped a lot. I think sports can help anyone that’s going through a really hard time.
“It would have been just as easy to go the wrong way.”
Tway continues family legacy
Zander Tway nearly broke a family tradition by not playing golf.
Tway, the nephew of Oklahoma State legend Bob Tway, wasn’t taking the sport seriously, so he didn’t play his freshman year.
It was only as a sophomore at Tuttle High School that Zander returned. But he still had to handle the pressure of the family name.
“It’s a little tough,” Tway said. “I come out to some of these tournaments and kids think I should just crush them, but then I don’t play as well as I should.”
Tway was named an alternate for the All-State golf matches. He competed less than 24 hours after receiving word he would be needed. He was scheduled to work Sunday, but instead he drove to Catoosa. He arrived at 3 p.m., played a round, had dinner and went to bed in his hotel room.
On Monday, he and McGuinness’ Charles Reynolds combined to beat Poteau’s Bryson Terry and Pryor’s Parker Sloan 3.5-0.5.
Tway is headed to Southern Nazarene, where he will play near his older brother at Southwestern Christian.
Tway now hopes to keep the family legacy going past college.
“It’s nice being in that family, getting a little help and seeing what it’s like in the eyes of a professional,” Tway said. “It’s something I aspire to do or be somewhere helping the PGA Tour.”
West dominates East
The West lost just two matches, both on the boys side, in a dominant performance that saw both the boys and girls teams combine for a 38-10 win.
Southmoore’s Madison Smith and McGuinness’ Olivia Schmidt combined for a 6-under-par 66 for the individual title.
On the boys side, the East’s Austin Enzbrenner and Jared Strathe, both from Owasso, combined for a 7-under 63 and a 4-0 victory in their match.