Saturday, June 18, marked the 9th annual Southside Lions Club Drive for Sight golf tournament. The tournament is hosted at Southern Hills Golf and Country Club located conveniently off of Interstate I-40 in Baxter, Tennessee. The tournament format was its usual 2 man scramble with 49 teams of all ages competing. During play the golfers were challenged with normal side games such as: closet to the pin, longest drive contest, closet to the line, and a possibility to win a $10,000 prize if a hole-in-one was aced on the 6th hole. Lunch was provided afterwards with the awarding of numerous door prizes, 50/50 drawing, lucky ball drop, and the announcement of winners for the 4 established flights. This fundraiser for the Southside Lions Club of Gordonsville is their most successful, allowing them to provide financial assistance and aid to local citizens whom have impaired vision. The Lions Club would like to extend the invitation to anyone who may be interested in playing next year. The Southside Lions Club would like to thank all of the many sponsors that make the tournament a success each year!

TSSAA Sectional Championship (Chattanooga, TN)

Gordonsville 11 Boyd Buchanan Christian School 6

After graduation festivities on Friday night, the Gordonsville Tigers hopped on the bus and headed 150 miles down to Boyd-Buchanan Christian School to take on the Bucs in the TSSAA Sectional Championship on May 21st, with the winner punching their ticket to the TSSAA State Tournament in Murfreesboro.

The Tigers jumped out early in the game as they took a 3-1 lead into the third. The Bucs quickly responded by tacking on two in the 3rd and one in the 4th to take a 4-3 lead into the 5th. In the 5th, the Tigers responded pushing across two runs behind a big two-run homer by Lake Underwood. The momentum of the game quickly turned to Gordonsville following the home run, as the Tigers punched across 6 in the 6th to take an 11-4 lead to the 6th. The Bucs, after having all of the wind taken out of their sails, responded with two runs, but Gordonsville would get the best of the Bucs, advancing to the 2016 TSSAA Spring Fling 11-6.

Hunter Davis got the start on the bump for the Tigers. The sophomore righty went 6 innings scattering 11 hits, striking out 4, while giving up 6 runs, and allowing 4 walks. Lake Underwood came on in the 7th to shut the door on the Bucs, striking out two and tossing a no hit inning of relief.

At the plate, the Tigers were led by Devin Goodwin who had three hits. Goodwin was followed by Bobby Parliment, Lake Underwood, and Jake Pierce who each had two hits. Joey Parliment, Mitchell Kirby, and Justin Vaden who each had one hit.

WP- Hunter Davis (Gordonsville)

TSSAA State Tournament (Opening Round @ Middle TN Christian School)

Scotts Hill (Reagan, TN) 11 Gordonsville 2

On May 24th, the Tigers continued their historical journey with the opening round of the TSSAA State Tournament at Middle Tennessee Christian School in the nightcap of the opening day of the tournament versus the Scotts Hill Lions.

The Tigers got on the board early, but the Lions were not going to let the Tigers get the best of them. The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after Lake Underwood doubled off the wall, but Lions pitcher Evan Russell was flawless after that. The Lions pushed across 1 in their half of the 1st, 5 in their half of the 2nd, three in the 3rd, and two more in the 5th to take an 11-2 victory on the opening night of the tournament.

Lake Underwood got the start on the mound and took the tough loss. He went 2-1/3 innings giving up 5 earned runs on 9 hits. John Taylor Johnson came in to complete the contest going 3-2/3 striking out seven, walking three, while giving up two earned.

Lion pitcher Evan Russell, threw a complete game, striking out 11, while walking five, and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Russell got stronger late in the contest as he continued pound the Tigers with his fastball that sat in the upper 80s.

Offensively, the Tigers never got anything going in the first as Lions pitcher Evan Russell dominated after the first. The Tigers were led by Lake Underwood and Hunter Davis with two hits. Bobby Parliment and Devin Goodwin each had one hit to round out the Tiger attack.

WP- Evan Russell (Scotts Hill)

TSSAA State Tournament (Loser’s Bracket Elimination Game @ MTCS)

Gordonsville 7 Meigs County (Decatur, TN) 6

After the late night setback, the Tigers headed back down the road to Middle Tennessee Christian School on Wednesday, May 25th, to take on the Meigs County Tigers in the Loser’s Bracket Elimination Game at Middle Tennessee Christian School. For those listening to Jim West on 104.1 The Ranch, the last inning of this game may have been the most memorable of the 2016 season.

The Tigers jumped out 3-0 early in the 1st, but Meigs County came firing back with four of their own in the 2nd to take a 4-3 lead into the 5th. The Tigers struck for one in the fifth to tie it up at 4. Gordonsville struck again in the sixth to make it 5-4 as we headed to the bottom of the 6th. In the 6th, Meigs County loaded the bases then squeezed home the leading run to make it 6-5 as we headed to the 7th. In the 7th, the Tigers were down to their last out of the season when Bobby Parliment blasted a solo shot to tie the game at 6-6. Lake Underwood then came up and hit a shot down the right field line that landed him on third with Freshman Adam Goolsby coming to the plate. The Freshman hit a shot down the right field line to plate Underwood and give the Tigers a 7-6 lead as they headed to the bottom of the 7th. In the bottom half of the 7th, Lake Underwood slammed the door striking out two.

Gordonsville starting pitcher Nathaniel Hall went 5 plus innings, striking out two, giving up 6 runs, 3 earned. Lake Underwood came on in the 6th with bases loaded, and got the Tigers out of it. He then slammed the door in the seventh with two strikeouts and a walk.

At the plate, the Tigers were led by Mitchell Kirby with three hits. Kirby was followed by Joey Parliment and Bobby Parliment who each had two hits. Lake Underwood, Adam Goolsby, Justin Vaden, and Hunter Davis who each had one hit.

WP- Lake Underwood (Gordonsville)

TSSAA State Tournament (Loser’s Bracket Finals @ MTCS)

Loretto (Loretto, TN) 13 Gordonsville 5

On Wednesday, May 25th, the Tigers spent the day in Murfreesboro after an exciting 10:00 am game victory over Meigs County. The Tigers then faced off with the #1 ranked team in 1A baseball, the Loretto Mustangs in the Loser’s Bracket Finals at Middle Tennessee Christian School.

The Tigers fell behind 7-0 early versus the powerful Mustangs, but fought back to make the contest 7-5 as they headed into the 6th. In the 6th, the Mustangs pushed across four more runs to extend the lead to 11-5. In the 7th, they pushed across two more to win 13-5 and move on to face Scotts Hill with a spot in the TSSAA State Championship for the winner.

The Tigers sent three young arms to the mound versus the Mustangs as Joey Parliment got the start, followed by Britt Dillard and Leith McKinney. The trio gave up 13 runs, 11 earned throughout the seven innings.

The Tigers did not hit Loretto pitcher Jacob James as the crafty lefty had a 2-seam fastball that ran in on the hands of numerous Tiger hitters as well as sat in the high 70s and low 80s. Offensively, the Tigers were led by Joey and Bobby Parliment who each had two hits. They were followed by Adam Goolsby who had the teams other lone hit.

WP- Jacob James (Loretto)

With the loss, the Tigers finished the 2016 campaign 16-21, and in a tie for 5th place in the 1A Class of Tennessee Baseball. The Tigers made the last four weeks of the 2016 season some of the most memorable for the little town of Gordonsville as they reached the sub-state portion of the TSSAA State Baseball playoffs for the first time since 1986, as well as reaching the TSSAA Spring Fling for the first time in the baseball program’ history. The Tigers also added their name to the history books by winning the school’s first ever state tournament baseball game. Even with a losing record, the Tigers had their seat at the table, so they ate! Congratulations to the 2016 Gordonsville Tiger Baseball Team and Coaches, top 6 in 1A Baseball!

By: Jacob Woodard

For the last 15 years, the city of Gordonsville has not had much to cheer about in the spring until the last 6-7 years. The Gordonsville Tigerettes Softball team have aided this cause behind the efforts of a group of seniors that have never lost a District Championship, including capturing the 2016 District Championship over Goodpasture this past Friday 9-5. However, on Wednesday, May 11^th, the Gordonsville Tigers baseball team looked to change their misfortune. After heavy rain and severe flooding occurred in Trousdale County, the Tigers saw their District 8-A Tournament moved to Watertown High School, where they would face off against the Watertown Purple Tigers in the Loser’s Bracket Finals with a spot to the Region 4-A tournament available to the winner.

The Tigers sent Freshman Joey Parliment to the mound to face-off with Watertown ace Kameron Akins. The Freshman scattered 10 hits over seven innings while allowing three runs, one earned, through his complete game win. Offensively, the Tigers were led by Lake Underwood, who had himself a day at the plate, as the senior had four hits and drove in two. He was followed by Joey Parliment, who had three hits, with one being a three run triple in the top half of the sixth to put the game out of reach for the Purple Tigers. Parliment was followed by Mitchell Kirby, Adam Goolsby, and Devin Goodwin who each had two hits. The offensive attack was rounded out by Bobby Parliment and Justin Vaden who each had one hit. With the win, the Tigers clinched a spot in the District 8-A Championship and a spot in the 2016 Region 4-A Tournament, a place the Tigers have not been since 2000. The Tigers fell in the Championship to the Goodpasture Christian School Cougars 3-0, after entering the bottom half of the sixth 1-0.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
GHS	1	0	3	0	0	7	2	13	15	2
WHS	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	10	1

After a disappointing end to the season last year, the Tigers will look to make the leap and get to the Region tournament. They finished the 2015 campaign 11-15 and second place in the regular season. Gordonsville was exceptionally young last year as 7 underclassmen played important roles throughout the year. However, the Tigers youth and injuries hampered them in the post season. Gordonsville was three outs away from advancing to regional play for the first time in 15 years. Hopefully with a year of experience under their belts, the 2016 Gordonsville Tigers will be able to make that trip to the Region tournament in May.

The 2016 Gordonsville Tigers have great potential, but will they be able to live up to this hype? Coach Petty had this to say about the Tigers, “We must learn to work harder than everyone, and pay attention to the small details. If we take care of the little things, the big things will take care of their self. We must learn to compete under pressure every single day in practice, I feel one of our downfalls over the past years has been our inability to handle the pressure of the tournament. We feel like the strength of our team this year will be our pitching depth and defense. We have several pitchers who we feel have the ability to throw effective against anyone we face and give us a chance to be competitive. We have 16 players throwing bullpens at this time and 8 of them we know can be effective and the other 8 we will need to see in more of a live situation. We will return the bulk of our infield as only our third baseman graduated, and our outfield, which was probably our deepest area last year, as we return 6 players who got valuable experience last year.”

The 2016 Tiger coaching staff will consist of Mac Petty, Davy Baker, and Jacob Woodard. Head Coach Mac Petty begins his 15th season at the helm of the Tigers. “Coach Davy Baker will be in his 5th year helping the Tiger program. He is in charge of the outfield and has done a tremendous job of working the young men and getting them in the right position” stated Petty. “Coach Jacob Woodard is a former player and senior at Cumberland University, where upon graduation he will be a certified athletic trainer. He has overseen our pitching staff during the offseason and works daily with the pitchers and catchers to help with fundamentals and arm care. Jacob brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to this team, which will be needed if they look to make the jump to the Region tournament” Petty concluded.

When asked about his assistants Coach Petty responded, “Coach Baker and Coach Woodard are both volunteers, and their help each and every day helps out our program tremendously. The fact that they are all willing to do so without any compensation shows how much the program and the players mean to them. There is no way that I could do so without their help.”

The 2016 Tigers consists of 20 players, all looking to compete for a starting position. With District 8-A being tough once again, the amount of talent on this roster will play to the Tigers’ strength in 2016. Below are Coach Petty’s thoughts on each of the young men.

Gordonsville Baseball Seniors:

#8 Jack Pitman Senior IF: “Jack played second base and was a Designated Hitter (DH) most of last year. Jack had some huge clutch hits as he had three game winning hits early in the year. We will need Jack to be a positive leader for us this year, and we will need a good year at the plate out of him.”

#9 John Taylor Johnson OF/P: “John Taylor has fully recovered from Tommy John Surgery that took place during the middle of last season. John Taylor was having a strong season on the mound before his injury, as he was 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA before his injury. We are hoping John Taylor can pick up where he left off last year. He will also compete for a spot in the outfield this year.”

#25 Jake Pierce OF: “Jake was a huge surprise for us last year. He led our team in almost every statistical category, making First Team All-District and TBCA All-Region (All Classes). Jake batted .429 last year, and his aggressive defensive play was a huge asset to our team. We will need Jake to be a positive leader this year both on and off the field if we are planning on improving as a team.”

#33 Lake Underwood IF/P: “Lake has all the tools to be exceptional. He had a strong finish last year earning First Team All-District where he batted .360. Lake has been solid on the mound for us as he consistently throws strikes and gives us an opportunity to win by not walking people. We will need a big year out of Lake both offensively and defensively, and he will need to grow into more of a leadership role.”

Gordonsville Baseball Juniors:

#2 Justin Vaden C: “Justin was hampered with ankle injuries for most of last season. Justin has a strong arm and gets rid of the ball very well. He has worked on controlling the game and the pitchers during the off-season. Last year Justin batted .322 and was named to the TBR Super Sophomore Team. We will need Justin to have a good year defensively behind the plate and offensively for us to take the next step.”

#5 Luke Blackburn IF/P: “Luke took a line drive off the hand while pitching early in the year last season. I felt his confidence was shaken somewhat. Luke has a solid glove…if he gets to the ball, it is usually caught. Luke will compete in our infield and could play third, second, or short. We need Luke’s bat to improve, but defensively we feel very confident in him.”

#6 Bobby Parliment 1B/P: “Bobby was hampered with injuries last year as he was unable to bat for most of the season, but still was able to be named to the TBR Super Sophomore Team. Bobby understands the game and has a tremendous skill set. We will need Bobby to be healthy this year, and we will also need him to provide some innings for us on the mound.”

#28 Devin Goodwin OF: “Devin is a good outfielder with good speed. Devin has worked extremely hard this off-season and will compete for an outfield spot this year, and I feel confident about Devin’s abilities. He is working on his hitting and is getting much better. Devin has a strong work ethic, and I believe that is one of his best traits.”

#42 Mitchell Kirby OF: “Mitchell played centerfield most of last year, before suffering a wrist injury a few days before the District Tournament. Kirby made the TBR Super Sophomore Team last year as he batted .308. Mitchell takes good angles at cutting balls off, but we need him to be a little more aggressive and trust his speed this year.”

Gordonsville Baseball Sophomores:

#3 Hunter Davis OF/P: “Hunter has had a great summer and fall, and he has really improved. At times last year, Hunter pitched exceptionally well, we just need him to relax and trust his ability once he gets on the field. Hunter will compete for an outfield spot. He also has the stuff to be in the top of our rotation.”

#4 Nathaniel Hall IF/OF/P: “Nathaniel has plus speed and a ton of ability. Once he learns to work on improving his tools, he could become special. Nathaniel played in the infield some for us last year and also pitched. He had some strong outings on the mound and could also push to get into the top part of our rotation. Defensively he could play many positions, we just need to see where he will best help us.”

#14 Britt Dillard 1B/OF/P: “Britt has gotten stronger since last year. His arm has improved, and he is hitting the ball much better. Being left handed, Britt is limited in the spots he can play. We plan on seeing how well he can move in the outfield, and how well he can pitch to see where he can help us the most. However, Britt is going to have to work on his speed in order to be able to contribute.”

#18 Leith McKinney IF/P: “Leith improved on the mound. He has a strong arm, and once he learns to use his lower half we will see huge improvements in his velocity and control. Leith will compete for time on the mound as we look for him to emerge as a reliever and a late week starter. Right now, Leith’s biggest holdback is his confidence and putting the past behind him.”

Gordonsville Baseball Freshman:

#10 Brady Hunt IF/P: “Brady has a good foundation. His mechanics are sound, and he possesses a good understanding of the game. He will work in the middle of our infield, and as Brady develops physically, we are looking for big things out of him.”

#11 Jim Anstis IF/P: “Jim has very good command on the mound and has worked extremely hard on developing his secondary pitches. We feel like Jim can give us some quality innings of relief work and some weekend starts this year.”

#16 Hunter Mann OF/P: “Hunter showed the ability to be a solid pitcher last year in Junior High. He has a good presence on the mound. As he continues to speed up his delivery, we feel like he will be able to provide us with some quality innings on the mound.”

#21 Logan Hawks IF/P: “Logan comes to us from Lebanon. He had some arm problems last year, but he is coming along well. We are looking forward to seeing Logan get on the field and see where he will best help us.”

#22 Adam Goolsby C/P: “Adam is one of the most fundamentally sound players I have coached in any sport. He has a good baseball IQ and handles the pitching staff extremely well. We look forward to seeing him perform and grow in the program.”

#23 Joey Parliment IF/P: “Joey started at shortstop the majority of last year as an 8th grader. He has good speed and understands the game extremely well. We will need Joey to have a good year for us this year, as with a year’s experience under his belt, we expect big improvements this year.”

#34 Matthew Thompson OF/P: “Matthew had a good year in Junior High last year and transitioned into the outfield well. He has gained considerable speed and has a good bat. We feel as if Matthew will grow into a good ball player for us.”

Since taking over the program in 2009, Coach Jonathan Bush has made Gordonsville Softball one of the biggest names in the state. After capturing the 2014 Class A State Championship behind Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and current UT-Chattanooga pitcher, Cori Jennings, the sky is the limit for the Tigerettes each year. Coach Bush will look to once again compete for another state title this season behind a group of seniors that has one goal…winning state!

A solid 2015 season came to an abrupt ending last year in the sub-state contest versus Marion County. However, Coach Bush has used this as motivation for his seniors and the rest of the Tigerettes this season. “Last year our team fell to a very good Marion County team in the sub-state contest. Each day I tell these girls that the expectations are high and that’s what you should want. With that, however, comes hard work, good competition, and playing at a high level each and every day” stated Bush. “In four years, these seniors are 29-3 in District play, with three district titles, two state tournament appearances, a state championship, and an overall record of 110-46” Bush concluded. With that being said, there should be no disappointment come May for the Tigerettes this season.

The Tigerette coaching staff will consist of Jonathan Bush, Mark West, Lindsay Foster, Courtney Maynard, and Jacqueline Crawford. Head Coach Jonathan Bush enters his seventh year with the program and looks to capture yet another Class A State title. Coach Mark West enters his fourth year with the program as the outfield and 1B coach. Lindsay Foster, Courtney Maynard, and Jacqueline Crawford, all former Tigerette standouts, enter their second seasons with the program.

The 2016 Tigerettes will be led by a group of seniors that are very determined to have a solid final year. Including two Cumberland University signees, Shelby Prichard and Robin Anne Hord, this group will serve both as leaders as well as role models for this year’s squad. They are looked upon by three juniors, eight sophomores, and five freshmen. The following are Coach Bush’s expectations for each of the Tigerettes this season.

Seniors

• #17 Shelby West – “Shelby had a great year in the circle for us last season, and earned the District MVP going 8-0 in District play. Again this year, I feel our strong point will be that we have a veteran in the circle. Shelby was also huge for us on the offensive side with her bat and base running abilities.”

• #10 Robin Anne Hord – “Robin Anne will be returning for us at 3rd base where she had a great defensive year. She was one of our leading hitters and became a hard our as the season progressed. I expect Robin Anne to be the leader in the infield for us this year.”

• #30 Shelby Prichard – “Shelby is a returning outfielder for us. She is a very consistent player and knows the game well. She swings the bat extremely well and has worked at it to improve daily. Shelby has smart base running skills that will really be important to our team.”

• #11 Katlyn Ray – “Katlyn will be returning for us at 1st base which with her height gives the infield a great target to throw to. Katlyn has been hitting the ball well in preseason and is another player who I will need to be a vocal leader for us in the infield.”

• #21 Alexa Underwood – “Alexa will be a returning outfielder for us and with her speed should be a big advantage for us. She has unbelievable strength at the plate and is working hard to improve every day. She also gives us speed on the bases which is a huge advantage to our offense.”

Juniors

• #9 Hannah Jennings – “Hannah has a really worked hard in the outfield at improving her skills. She has good speed, and has really been improving each practice. I feel Hannah will have a good season this year.”

• #7 Allyson West – “Allyson will be returning behind the plate this year. Allyson has a very strong arm, which is a huge advantage because teams do not try to steal much on her. On the offensive side, she has the ability to hit the ball deep. I feel she will hit a few homeruns for us this year.”

• #13 Madison Gentry – “Madison will be seeing action in the outfield and do some pitching for us also. She had developed a hard swing over the offseason and is working hard in practice to get better daily.”

Sophomores

• #16 Caitlyn Griffin – “Caitlyn had a great freshman year at second base and was our leadoff hitter last year. She has a great mind of the game, but unfortunately will miss this season due to a knee injury. She is working hard in rehab and is a strong competitor, so I know she will bounce back greatly and be ready for next year.”

• #18 Hallie Dillard – “Hallie will be playing in the infield this year. She is quick and has a good glove. She runs the bases well, and I see that as being a plus for our team.”

• #34 Grace Leslie – “Grace will be seeing action in the circle and in the outfield this year. She got a lot of action in the circle last year, but should see even more this year in bigger games. She has a solid frame and the range to be a pitcher. As she continues to improve, she will be an asset to our team.”

• #20 Shelby Williams – “Shelby will be playing in the infield this year. She has worked hard and has developed a good swing at the plate. Shelby also has speed that could help us.”

• #12 Lauren Montgomery – “Lauren will be seeing action in the outfield this year. She had unbelievable strength at the plate and is working hard to develop that swing. She is another player that runs the bases well.”

• #23 Emma Wood – “Emma will be seeing action in the infield this year. She is working hard and improving daily. She has quickness that we should be able to use during base running.”

• #32 Jera Gibbs – “Jera will see action in the outfield and infield this year. She swings the bat hard at the plate and is working hard in practice to develop that swing.”

• #00 Ashley Griese – “Ashley will be in the infield this year. She working hard and developing a good swing. She also runs well and could help us on the bases this season.”

Freshmen

• #6 Piper Conditt – “Piper will be seeing action in the infield. She has great quickness and has a good arm. With her speed, she will also give us a great advantage on the bases.”

• #44 Maggie Mason – “Maggie will be in the outfield and in the circle this year. She is working hard on her pitching and is improving daily on it. She is throwing harder each week.”

• #3 Erin Wagner – “Erin will be in the infield this year and also in the circle. She is also working hard on her pitching and gaining more and more speed each day.”

• #33 Sheyenne Newton – “Sheyenne will be in the outfield and behind the plate catching this year. She is quick and could help us out on the bases.”

• #2 Mia Harrelson – “Mia will be in the outfield this year. She has great quickness, which we should be able to use on the bases as a runner.”

The 2016 Owls start off with the same goal as many other teams in the state do come first practice in February, ending in Murfreesboro. But first, they will have to get through a tough District in 8AA. After graduating five starters, many new faces will be on the field for the Owls in 2016. Many of these new faces will get the chance to prove they have what it takes to get us to the next level.

The Owls will look to build off a strong 2015 campaign in which they finished 19-12, as well as 3rd in District 8-AA. District 8-AA will once again be tough as DeKalb County and Upperman both appear to be strong contenders for the District crown behind two of the top arms in the mid-state. Playing in a district with the likes of DeKalb County’s Stephen Jennings, an Ole Miss Commit, and Upperman’s Winston Cannon, a UT-Martin commit, will prove to be a huge test for the Owls. However, they have proven year in and year out, that they will compete for a top spot during the regular season and in the district tournament.

The Owls Coaching staff consists of Scott Pope, Steve Bray, Randy Wakefield, Jim Hesson, and Jim Porter. Head Coach Scott Pope begins his 10th season at Smith County with two trips in the last six years to the state tournament in Murfreesboro. Coach Steve Bray and Coach Randy Wakefield both return as key assistants. Newcomers Jim Hesson and Jim Porter will also look to aid in getting the Owls back to state during the 2016 campaign.

The Owls will be driven by a group of six seniors that each will be depended on daily as leaders for the 2016 season. Along with the seniors, two juniors, 12 sophomores, and six freshmen will each look to play a part in getting the Owls back to the promised land. Below are Coach Pope’s comments on each of the young men that make up the 2016 Smith County Owls Baseball Team.

Seniors

Jon Neal Vance – “Jon Neal will see time in one of the outfield positions. He has good speed and he has a good bat and will be counted on to provide some offense this season.”

John Ellis Maynard – “John Ellis is a very strong young man and will see time at one of the corner positions. We also need him to provide some consistency in the middle of our offensive lineup.”

Noah McClanahan – “Noah has gained a lot of strength over the past year and has a nice swing. We want Noah to hold down the 3rd base position and give us quality at bats.”

Bailey Dick – “Bailey saw time last year on the mound and will be looked to for quality innings this year as well. He will also see time in the outfield and 1st Base.”

Logan Fields – “A 2015 All District 1st teamer, Logan Fields will anchor our pitching rotation this year. He has seen significant mound time since he was a freshman. He was very consistent last year and was 2nd in the rotation in strikeouts and ERA. We look to him to be the leader of the rotation along with multiple other positions including 3rd base, shortstop, and 1st base.”

Max Massey – “Max hustles, is very quick, and will play outfield and pitch for us this year. We look for him to be at the top of our lineup. He gives us a lot of speed and good base-running ability. He has seen significant amount of mound time over the past two years.”

Juniors

Ethan Hackett – “Ethan is another quick young man and will return to the shortstop position this year. He has good range and a very quick release. We need more consistent throws from him this year. He is a very good bunter and is another young man who could see time at the top of our lineup.”

Luke Williams – “We will continue to lean on Luke in our pitching rotation. Currently, he is our other district starter. After having some arm trouble in 2015, he has come back stronger and has gained velocity over the past year along with improved mechanics. We will also count on Luke to play some outfield along with some 1st base.”

Sophomores

Jase Holder – “Jase will see time at 2nd base. He is quick and can provide more speed at the top of the lineup or someone that can flip the lineup over for us.”

Shermar King – “Shermar is a very athletic young man with a lot of speed. He can give us time in the outfield or a variety of other positions. We’re excited to see what he can bring to the table this season.”

Jay Franklin – “Jay will see time on the mound for us this season. He needs to work on improving his velocity, but he is very accurate and has a variety of pitches that he can throw for a strike. He will see time in the bullpen for the varsity squad and will start in some junior varsity games.”

Cody Bryant – “Cody brings a unique style to pitching. He doesn’t have the most fundamental delivery but he throws strike consistently. We need him to be a big part of our bullpen this year.”

Bryant Goolsby – “Bryant will be a mainstay behind the plate for us this year. He was the Freshman of the Year in District 8AA and led our team in multiple statistical categories. He played as well across the board as anyone we had last year and he was just a freshman. We’re excited to see him follow it up with another great season. He’s very instinctive, makes great decisions at the plate and is also a very good baserunner.”

Nathan Huff – “Nathan is going to have to sit most of this season out because of a health issue, but he is going to be working with us. We are excited to see what he can bring to our team in the future.”

Zeke Gibbs – “Zeke is new to the team this year. He is very quick, and we will look at him in a variety of positions.”

Nathan Johnson – “Nate is really quick. He will compete for time in the outfield, but will definitely spend time with the varsity as a courtesy and pinch runner.”

Grant Winfree – “Grant is another very quick player. He will compete for time at a variety of positions and will definitely get to see time as a courtesy and pinch runner.”

Campbell Gregory – “Campbell has a strong arm and will compete for time in the outfield. He also has some catching experience if he’s needed there.”

Dustin Mimms – “Dustin will compete for time in the infield and on the mound. He is fundamentally sound and can be a really good player for us for several years.”

Brannan Hackett – “Brannan will see time on the mound and in the infield. He has gained a lot of velocity over the past year and continues to fine tune his delivery. He can also be a very good player for us.”

Freshmen

Charlie Hopper – “Charlie is small, but he has great instincts, athleticism, and tracks the ball very well in the outfield. As he grows, he’ll be a great player for this team. “

Noah Murray – “Noah will compete and see time at any of the outfield positions and some infield as well. He has the potential to be a very good player for us as well.”

Matthew Enoch – “Matthew has a big arm and, if he can stay healthy, can be a great asset to the team in the future.”

Bryson Neal – “Bryson is very athletic and quick. He tracks the ball very well and could compete for varsity time this year.”

Isaac Dick – “Isaac is tall and strong. he will be looked at in a variety of positions.”

Dylan Hackett – “Dylan will compete for time in the infield and will also see time behind the plate. He is instinctive and athletic.”

 

The 2016 Lady Owls take the diamond as a family looking to improve as a team. The Lady Owls will be looking to build from a strong postseason performance a year ago. The Lady Owls return all starters and look to a few new faces to jump in and jolt the line-up. Coach Joe Hiett had this to say about the 2016 Lady Owls, “This is an athletic group with lots of good players. We have four seniors, six juniors, five sophomores, and eight freshmen. We are learning on the older girls to lead and help the younger ones learn the culture of the Lady Owl family and Smith County Pride (SCP).”

When asked on what needed to change for the Lady Owls to be successful in 2016, Coach Hiett stated, “We must become mentally tough. Last year we had a problem with that. A few bad breaks, and we started letting up. We have to become tougher and fight through those mistakes. Mistakes happen, but how you respond will dictate the outcome. I feel like the girls are working on finishing, but just have to keep fighting until the last out.”

District 8-AA will be one of the toughest districts in the state this season. With the likes of DeKalb County, Macon County, and Upperman, the Lady Owls will have to finish in order to compete in 2016. Coach Hiett had this to say about District 8-AA, “We play in a very competitive district, with at least one team from our district typically advancing to the state tournament each year. I think the best thing about our district is top to bottom, anyone can win on any given night.”

The coaching staff for the Lady Owls will consist of Joe Hiett and Candice Harper. Coach Hiett begins his fourth year as the head coach of the Smith County Lady Owls. Over the last four years, he has watched his team grow and develop daily. Hiett had this to say about Coach Harper, “Candice brings a lot of intensity to the team. She is very passionate in how she coaches. She coaches the outfield and holds them to a high standard.”

The Lady Owls have four seniors who will serve as both leaders and teachers during the 2016 campaign. They are #2 Kaylyn Adams, #3 Sydney Clere, #8 Jarraca Holder, and #17 Amber Masters. Coach Hiett had this to say about his 2016 senior class,“These ladies are the leaders of the team. They are looked to by the younger players for guidance and have to hold themselves to a high standard. The younger players will do as they do. They have worked very hard, and I anticipate the ladies having a very big senior year. It’s time for them to rise.”

Behind the four seniors, are six juniors that have all played a key role since their freshman year. The Junior class consists of #4 Abbi Gregory, #9 Karly Edens, #22 Gracie White, #26 Haven Jenkins, #27 Meagan Manning, and #30 Madison Spivey. “These young ladies play a vital role in the success of our team. They have all started at some point since they were freshman, and now it’s time that they put together what they have learned. They are working very hard and should have a very solid year” Coach Hiett stated.

The lower class men will also be looked upon to play a key role in the 2016 season for the Lady Owls. This group consists of five sophomores and eight freshmen. The Sophomore class consist of #11 Lauren Wright, #18 Cayce Forrester, #20 McKenna Anderson, #24 Paige Holland, and #25 Shelby Davis. “This class has several that have to step up. For us to be the team we can be, they have to be big contributors. They each work extremely hard and are a very competitive group that wants to be on the field” stated Hiett.

The Freshman class is composed of #5 Savannah Goodman, #7 Chloe Kitchen, #13 Paige Smith, #14 Trinity Madewell, #19 Carly Suhm, #33 Jessica Maynard, #42 Hannah Gregory, #45 Asia Evans. “These young ladies are showing improvements each day and are working hard. They are learning how to be Lady Owls and what SCP truly means. They are catching up to the speed of the game, and we look for many of them to help immediately. I look forward to seeing where this class can go” Hiett concluded.

The 2016 Lady Owls will lean on leadership and experience in the 2016 season. If they are able to finish, it will be a special year for the Lady Owls as they continue to rise!