The Lady Tigers of Childersburg capped off the 2008 softball season with yet another trip to the second round of sub-state.The ladies in blue had the best season of all large schools in Talladega County and lead the way on the All-County team.
Andrea Barnett, Katie Haisten, Erin Jones, Tina Taylor and Chasity Ward all received All-County recognition. The players led Childersburg to a record of 21-13 and yet another Talladega County Tournament Championship.
Barnett, Haisten, Jones, Taylor and Ward will all be back next season. In fact, Childersburg will only lost one player to graduation.
“That just shows the future is very bright for Childersburg,” head coach Brian Nelson said in an earlier interview.
Nelson, who just completed his first season as head coach of the team, said he was very proud of the girls and their effort during the season.
“These kids have been through a lot,” Nelson said. “There have been a lot of negative things said, a lot of people who didn’t think we’d win county, a lot of people who didn’t think we’d win area.
“They showed a lot of heart, and I’m very proud of them.”
The Lady Tigers of Talladega also had a new coach in 2008, but the results were not as well as they hoped. However, three seniors on the team all received scholarships to play softball at the next level. Those three, Casey Gurley, Phoenix Stamps and Jessica Thompson were all named to the All-County team as well.
The three will remain teammates next season when they go to Bishop State Community College in Mobile.
“We have six seniors,” head coach Stephanie Meagher said in an earlier interview. “We’ve got a lot of seniors that we’re hoping to get on somewhere to play college ball. But we’ve got a lot of young ones too. The JV is stacked with seventh and eighth graders.”
The Sylacauga Aggies had a young team in 2008, but a few players stood out above the rest. Renee Burton, Shaylin Downey and Rebekah Sockwell were named to the All-County team.
“It’s baby steps,” Sylacauga head coach Derrick Crawford said in an earlier interview. “We’re seeing a quality pitcher in every ballgame, seeing the speed of the game against good competition.
“It’s good for these babies that we have to see this kind of play.”
With most of his players coming back in 2009, Crawford and the Lady Aggies have a lot to look forward to.
