Now that the regular season has ended and most players are turning in uniforms and looking forward to summer vacation, the athletes at Fayetteville are still competing. The baseball, softball and golf teams are all in postseason play this week.
The golf team will start things off when they compete in sub-state tournament at Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery on Monday. First year golf coach Doug Warren said the team survived tough conditions to finish tied for third at the sectional tournament at Silver Lakes last week in order to advance to sub-state.
“We didn’t play real well,” Warren said Saturday. “I think the conditions had a lot to do with that. I look for us to play well on Monday. I feel like we can advance.”
The golf team is in just its third year of existence at Fayetteville and there is only one senior, Mason Black, who will be competing on Monday. The remainder of the team is made up of sophomores.
As the golfers are competing on Monday, the softball team will be preparing for a road trip to the regional tournament in Troy. The Lady Wolves finished second to Faith Christian in the area tournament and will compete in the regional tournament on Friday.
The young softball team has struggled at times in the season, but has a chance to advance to the state tournament. The winner and runner-up of the double elimination regional tournament will advance to state.
Also playing on Friday will be the Fayetteville baseball team. The Wolves (20-9) are two wins away from going to the state championship series for the first time since winning it all in 1987. Fayetteville hasn’t been to the semifinals since 1988.
The Wolves have used strong hitting and pitching to get to this point in the playoffs and head coach Morris Phillips hopes both continue for two more weeks.
“I hope we can keep this going,” Phillips said after his team swept a doubleheader from J.U. Blacksher on Friday. “We’re really fortunate. The bats have gotten hot at the right time of the year and we’re swinging them good. I’m hoping we can keep doing that.”
The players are pleased to be the first team in more than 20 years to advance to the semis.
“It’s great,” Justin Ricks said. “I love it. I just know that when I get to be 30 or 40, people will be like ‘Weren’t you on that team that went to the semifinals at Fayetteville?’ And I can say yes.”
