WEST POINT, Ala. – The West Point High School Scholars Bowl Team will host a fundraiser on Saturday, Jan.17, in the school auditorium. The event will feature singer Sophie Henry, daughter of Scholars Bowl Coach Lee Henry, along with Eric Figueroa, Tim Bolin, Brady Smith and the coach himself.
The team won the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) Small School National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) in April in Chicago, and is looking to return this year to defend their title.
“Running a national championship-caliber program is expensive and unfortunately, scholars bowl is not really a revenue-producing activity like athletic sports are,” Henry said. “We host tournaments and ask for donations throughout the year to help out. We generally need around $20,000 a year to cover our various entry fees in local, state and national events – as well as travel, lodging, food, practice materials, equipment, etc. We’d love to make at least $2,000 or $3,000 profit from this event.”
Henry said the national tournament is April 24-26, 2026. With that, they decided to book a local band to help with the fundraising.
“Sophie, my daughter, became a professional singer in Nashville in 2022 at the age of 13,” he said. “It was an unexpected, incredible whirlwind! Before she was 14, she was singing full four-hour shifts at Kid Rock’s and Tootsies, among other famous venues on Lower Broadway. We were making the 2.5-hour drive back and forth almost every weekend, She performed under the stage name ‘Raine,’ which is her actual middle name. She got to perform at the Tootsie’s Birthday Bash, where she got to open for acts like Oliver Anthony, Montgomery Gentry and others.”
He continued, “Unfortunately, a change in policy made it where they would no longer allow anyone under 18 to perform at those establishments. She was a few months shy of 15 when that happened, but she didn’t give up. She played in a local band for a couple of years. And when that ended, she decided to start her own band. She had become good friends with local drummer Timothy Bolin and bassist Brady Smith from a previous band. And she and Eric Figueroa – who is an amazing young guitarist – had wanted to work together for a while.
“And then she asked me if I wanted to play rhythm guitar in her band. I played in a rock band called Mother of Pearl many, many years ago. It meant the world to me that she asked me to do this. So, I decided to get on stage for the first time in almost 25 years. Playing guitar is NOT like riding a bike! I’m not nearly as good as I used to be, but we’ve got Eric to do the heavy lifting on guitar. But every time we’re performing and I look over and see my daughter up there with me, it’s an indescribable feeling.”
The proud dad said Sophie Henry’s first single was released in July.
“It’s called ‘Do You Even Know My Name?’ It was recorded in Nashville at the studio of award-winning producer and musician John Willis,” Henry said. “It is available on all streaming platforms. When I was trying to come up with unique ways to raise money for our scholars bowl team, I decided to try combining these two important endeavors. I wanted to give our community the opportunity to support our national champion academic team while ALSO supporting local musicians with a real shot of making it in the music business. At 17 years old, Sophie already has more professional experience than a lot of musicians twice her age. And I cannot overstate the talent of the other young musicians in the band. Tim Bolin is an incredible drummer. Brady Smith is a great bassist. And Eric Figueroa is well on his way to being a guitar virtuoso. The potential is there. We just need the community to step up and support us.”
He’s hoping for a big crowd at the show. The band will play a mix of rock and country hits, as well as a few originals, including the single “Do You Even Know My Name.”
Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased from any West Point Scholars Bowl Team member or by emailing Lee Henry at thenry@ccboe.org.
Tickets will also be available at the door for $12. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7.
