Hancock Golf Teams receive championship rings, honor life of Rowdy Foster

KILN, Miss. (WXXV) — Friday marked a special night at Hancock High School, as the Hawks celebrated some state champions while honoring a teammate.

Members of the boys and girls golf teams received their state championship rings after an impressive 2025 season. Both teams won titles back in October. The boys went back-to-back after two dominant rounds on the course. Additionally, the girls team earned its title for the third year in a row, with Karstyn Altese claiming her second individual state championship.

“Getting our rings is always an exciting way to wrap up the season that we just completed but also kick off the next one,” Altese said. “We worked really hard this season, all the girls did and the boys, so yeah, it just really brings us together and gets us pumped.”

“It shows that hard work pays off,” golfer Bailey Bozant said. “An entire season spent working hard every single day, hours on end and you finally… you get that moment of relief, like, ‘Yes, we did it.'”

The Hawks also honored the life and legacy of Rowdy Foster, the freshman golf prodigy who died in a tragic car accident in December.

Foster won the individual state championship in the fall, and the team honored him by wearing jerseys from his favorite movie and unveiling a painting. His father, John Clayton Foster, spoke to WXXV about just how loved his son is.

“Well for me, it’s absolutely everything,” Foster said. “At my son’s funeral, there was well over probably 1,200 people came and we had kids from 12 different schools, and the unity, the collective support… it means everything. It means that I know that my son’s memory will go on, and that means the world to me. My son’s biggest fear was being forgotten, and this gives me a little bit of sense that he’ll know that he’s being remembered quite well.”

Foster went on to thank the Hancock community for its love and support.