By BRIAN CARSON

Sentinel reporter

bcarson@lewistownsentinel.com

LEWISTOWN – At the Lewistown Country Club, laughter and chatter fill the air before the first tee shot. On June 27, starting at noon, the fairways and greens become a gathering place for the football program and its community.

This is the 2nd Annual Husky Football Golf Tournament, but it could be mistaken for a reunion. Coaches, players, alumni, parents, and local business owners will gather, some competing for cash prizes, all invested in the next season of Mifflin County football.

The aim is simple: give the program its strongest foundation yet. The money raised will ripple through every corner of the Huskies’ operations, making its way to team travel, camp participation, meals, and the little things that hold a program together.

“We can’t thank the people in our Mifflin County communities and our business sponsors enough for their generosity,” Coach Shane Breon said. “Running a football program would be very difficult without that support, and it is greatly appreciated.”

Breon doesn’t rattle off expenses as a list of line items; he speaks of what the dollars do: “The funds raised from the golf tournament help fund our program in several ways. They provide us the opportunity to travel to or host a team camp and enable us to participate in various 7-on-7 events throughout the summer, which allows us to teach and install our offensive and defensive schemes early. These events allow our players to bond as a team and make additional memories while giving us an advantage heading into the season.”

Last year, the tournament drew a strong response, but Breon and the event’s organizing committee–led by Tara Reeder–listened to the feedback.

“The golf committee led by Tara Reeder has implemented changes based on feedback from last year’s inaugural tournament,” Breon said. “We’re including a sit-down pre-round lunch and cash prizes over pro shop credits, which seem to be preferred. We’re hoping these changes and the addition of an MC Football hat provide further incentive for folks in the community to register a team and have an enjoyable afternoon on the course.”

This year, every golfer will find a meal waiting before tee-off–chicken, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, salad, desserts, and drinks–served in the banquet room. Each will leave with an MC Football hat. The competitions on the course–closest to the pin, longest drive, putting contest–offer more than a reason to swing hard. They build camaraderie and raise the stakes with cash prizes that speak to every competitor’s instincts.

What happens on this summer day has a direct impact on what happens on Friday nights in the fall.

“The support of local businesses is critical to supporting any sports team, especially our football program that needs to provide things like pregame and post-game meals and team wear for up to 125 players in grades 7-12,” Breon said. “Your golfing and/or sponsorship participation in this golf tournament will help ensure each Husky football player and their families have the best experience possible.”

It’s not only about the varsity team. The proceeds support a program that stretches from junior high to seniors, covering everything from travel and meals to locker name tags and senior jersey replacements. “The tournament helps fund locker name tags, senior jersey replacements, and other miscellaneous expenses required to run a high school football program,” Breon said.

For Breon, the heart of this event is what it allows the program to do off the field. Summer camps and 7-on-7 tournaments are funded in large part by this single day on the golf course. They provide chances for athletes to learn schemes, test themselves, and build relationships that last beyond football.

The money is the engine, but the spirit comes from the community. “We have had great community support for our football program. This golf tournament is one of our main fundraisers and will help to ensure the players and their families have the best possible experience we can provide,” Breon said.

The tournament is open to all–foursomes, individual golfers, and sponsors at every level. Local businesses can sign on as sponsors at the Top Dog, Purple, Silver, or White levels, earning benefits like free admission to games, sponsor signage, and public recognition at each home game. Registration includes a round of golf, two carts per team, a pre-tournament meal, drinks on the course, and a shot at prizes.

Golfers and sponsors can sign up online by visiting the new tournament website at www.mifflincountyfootball.com/golf-tournament. Payments can be completed online, or checks can be mailed to Tara Reeder, Booster Club Vice President, at 8 S. Parkway Ct., Lewistown, PA 17044. Individual and team registrations, as well as sponsorships, are all welcome.

“Your generosity is appreciated,” Breon said, reflecting a theme that runs through every answer. “The tournament is more than a fundraiser. It’s a statement about what a high school football program means to the people who play, coach, and support it.”

On June 27, the teams will tee off, chasing birdies, prizes, and a little bragging rights. The real prize, though, will be measured in the coming months–on the field, in the locker room, and in the memory of every player who feels supported by their community.