Show High school softball team wins state Nick Parker Globe Weekly News Friday May 20 started with a giant breakfast at Coach Lisa Parker and pitcher Brittany Parkers Parker's house The entire Lady Spartan softball team gorged themselves on a plethora of bacon eggs sausage fruit toast and waffles in preparation preparation preparation prepa prepa- ration of their monumental game A candid scene of giggling girls ripe with excitement filled the house In between hair braiding and orange juice chugging they all spoke of eminent victory victory victory vic vic- vic vic- tory that afternoon going down no doubt Bring it on said junior Sarah Foote Foote was the rallying cry of team optimism this year Her loud cheering and always upbeat demeanor helped keep the team pumped during their season season season sea sea- son and the year ending tournament Footle as she's affectionately called was the personality that cemented the teams team's unity I would do anything for them Togetherness and sorority has been one of the hallmarks of the season Each girl had only the most positive things to say about her peers and the coaching staff Ive been with this team for four years now and this is the best bunch of girls weve we've had since said lone senior and Co-captain Co third baseman Felicia Romney Its a great way to end my senior year The Spartans adopted an acronymic mantra this year to show their drive and dedication for winning the state title LOY was printed on the back of their practice shirts on their schedule and burned into their psyches by the end of the year It Its It's s Our Year was the optimistic yell of the passionate young ladies It was a code brainstormed by Captains Romney and Whitney Holmes and coach Parker Getting to the final round of play is a feat not accomplished by Murray in a decade Tension was palpable among the giggling girls but was not limited to the players Coach Wendy Vendy Pehrson took time out of her morning for a superstitious superstitious superstitious pre-game pre ritual Im kind of superstitious so I had to togo togo togo go through my whole routine I had to eat the same breakfast I ate all week which was Cheerios and yogurt Wendy Vendy Pehrson In between celery-adorned celery tomato juice gulps and nervously surveying her team Pehrson elaborated on the teams team's strategy to winI winI win I think you get to this point and everyone has a good pitcher so if we field the ball like we did yesterday well we'll be ok The Spartans went through the tournament tournament tournament ment and almost all of their regular season season season sea sea- son undefeated They weren't just given the wins though Hard work came to bring them there A more talented group of young ladies has never been up to bat at Murray High School The talent level is different than anything anything anything any any- thing Ive I've coached where before we were lucky y to have one kid that was a division 1 athlete and I think this team wise talent-wise has a bunch of kids like that said Pehrson When it was finally time coach Pehrson brought all the girls to the basement basement basement base base- ment of the Parker home and gave a highly inspirational speech It included such topics as team unity keeping their heads in the game and praise for a job Softball Cont on page 10 Softball Continued from page 8 well done so far The players then responded with a resounding cry of confidence Second place would certainly not do for these girls When the girls reached the Cottonwood Complex they knew what they had to do Unfortunately for them they didn't do it The first few innings were blatantly dominated by errors and missteps Pop flies flics overthrows overthrows overthrows over over- throws and pass balls were a Murray staple early on From any casual onlooker it would seem as if the Spartans were doomed to another year of title-less title debauchery In the third inning though Brittany Parker hit a to pump up the crowd and the bench Later another homer and a great pitching streak would pose Parker as the headliner of the event The pitching of junior Whitney Holmes brought them to the end of the line but it was sophomore Brittany Parker that would be remembered in inthe inthe inthe the final game With a highly anticlimactic throw out at first base the lady Spartans clenched the title The entire team and coaching staff jumped onto the field once the title was taken One of the assistants threw the scorebook onto the field as she sheran sheran sheran ran toward the mound In the immediate aftermath of the win the entire team was ecstatically jumping and screaming Whilst holding her finger up to signify number one coach Lisa Parker said It feels awesome in respect to winning the title after 13 years of trying The Murray community came out in droves to support the girls About kids from the school all of the team parents parents parents par par- and principal Scott Bushnell attended the champi champi- This team has been fantas fantas- tic Ive I've been watching them all year and it culminates with this straight through on the winners winner's bracket Its It's been a alot alot lot of fun and well deserved of girls State for this group champs they will forever be said Principal Bushnell This year wont won't end the me Spartans' Spartans reign of excellence though as only one member Romney will be leaving to graduate Co-captain Co Whitney Holmes will lead her team to the tops of their new region next year and possibly bring home a second consecutive title I |