As a senior pitcher, Cass Brister stood tall on the mound forthe Loyd Star Hornets. He was instrumental in leading the Hornetsto the Division 6-2A championship and the second round of the Class2A state playoffs.

Brister also was among the team leaders at the plate. Theversatile right-hander has been selected Mister Baseball and theMost Valuable Player on The Daily Leader’s 2002All-Lincoln County Baseball Team.

Recognized as DL Offensive Player of the Year is BogueChitto senior Jacob Leggett. The DL’s Defensive Player ofthe Year is Brookhaven Academy catcher Kelly Allred.

Joining Brister on the Dream Team’s mound staff are Leggett andPaul Coker of Brookhaven Academy.

Allred is joined by catchers Kern Hoff of Brookhaven and MatthewDelaughter of Loyd Star. The infielders are Ben Goza and BrooksHall of Brookhaven, and Seth Britt and Blake Wall of Loyd Star.

Outfielders are Jeffrey Waycaster of Brookhaven Academy, DariusPerkins and Josh Townsend of Brookhaven and Monti Crotwell ofEnterprise.

Adam Smith of Brookhaven is the utility player and Cody Wallaceof West Lincoln is the designated hitter. The team was selected bymembers of The Daily Leader’s sports staff, with inputprovided by college coaches.

The Daily Leader’s MVP is the son of Terry Brister andKathy Jones. When he’s not pitching, Brister is working atshortstop. He batted .341 this season, collecting 29 RBIs, 9doubles and 2 triples.

On the mound, Brister (6-4, 180) posted an 8-3 record and astingy 1.91 ERA He consistently throws in the mid 80s.

“My cut fastball is my favorite pitch,” Brister explained. “Itlooks like a fastball but then it dives away from a right-handedbatter.” He also throws a curveball and split change-up.

A Co-Lin signee, Brister will join Leggett on the BrookhavenBrakemen team this summer. The wooden bat league will help themimprove their pitching and batting skills.

At Loyd Star, Brister helped the Hornets reach the South StateClass 2A semifinals. They were eliminated by Lumberton in abest-of-three series.

Loyd Star first-year head coach Sidney Wheatley said Brister wasa major asset on his state playoff team. “Cass did everything weasked him to do. He’s an outstanding pitcher and a realcompetitor.”

Brister said he enjoyed playing for Coach Wheatley. “He pushedus to do our best. He really cares about us.”

Asked about his favorite Major League team, Brister said hefollows the Atlanta Braves. His favorite senior college team isLSU.

Kelly Allred (5-10, 180), batted .367 his senior year. He ledthe Cougars with 27 RBIs and 3 home runs. He has been a catchersince he was nine years old. His parents are Duane and LyndaAllred.

“Kelly is a very good defensive catcher,” says BrookhavenAcademy coach Ron Rushing. “He blocks well and handles the pitcherwell. He lines up people and gets them where they are supposed tobe on the field.

“He also calls our bunt defenses at first and third. He has agood arm throwing to second base.”

Asked about his position, Allred said, “I like being in on everypitch. I like playing in the dirt and being a team leader.”

A devout Christian, Allred has two scripture verses from theBible printed on the underside bill of his baseball cap:Phillipians 4:13 and John 3:16.

“If you work hard and believe you can do it, it will come toyou,” said Allred. “My teammates were real strong behind me. Wepulled as a team.”

Allred said he wants to play college baseball. He plans toattend Delta State University and major in business. He wants towalk-on and make the DSU baseball squad.

According to Allred, Coach Rushing was a key to his success. “Heworked me real hard the last three years. He tried to get the bestout of me.”

On his jersey, Allred wears No. 7. He said it is a spiritualnumber meaning perfection. “I’m certainly not perfect but I try toget better each day.”

Jacob Leggett (6-1, 162) was an early signee with theCopiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves. He anchored the BogueChitto pitching staff under first-year head coach Carl Cole. He hada 3.71 ERA., striking out 49 batters and walking 11.

At the plate is where Leggett made a big impression. He batted aschool-record .511 and hit 2 homers. He also stole 26 bases.

Last summer Leggett played baseball with Brookhaven Academy’sAmerican Legion team. He credits Coach Rushing with improving hisbatting and pitching skills.

“Coach Rushing’s philosophy on batting really helped me,” saidLeggett. “He widened my stance and that made my hands quicker.”

Leggett, the son of Andy and Amaryllis Leggett, also playedshortstop and second base for the summer team. He uses a TPXC555bat, weighing 30 ounces and measuring 33 inches in length.

Kern Hoff, a senior, played catcher and first base for CoachRandy Spring’s Panthers. He batted .316, hit 5 doubles, 1 homer andcollected 17 RBIs.

Matthew Delaughter, a sophomore, batted .225 for the Hornets. Hehit 2 doubles and 1 homer.

Ben Goza, a senior first baseman, batted .418. He accounted for4 homers, 7 doubles and a team-leading 26 RBIs as the Panthersposted a 13-16 record.

Seth Britt, a senior shortstop/pitcher, batted .390 for LoydStar. He hit 4 homers and collected 27 RBIs. On the mound, heposted a 7-4 record and 2.21 ERA.

Blake Wall, a junior infielder, batted .365 and led the Hornetswith 5 homers.

Brooks Hall, a sophomore, worked at shortstop and pitcher forthe Panthers. He had a .337 batting average, 5 doubles 1 homer and7 stolen bases.

Jeffrey Waycaster, a senior, was a speedy outfielder for theCougars. He batted .364 and collected 17 RBI.

Darius Perkins, a freshman, batted .407 for the Panthers. He hit6 doubles, 2 triples and 1 homer.

Monti Crotwell, a senior, led the Yellow Jackets in batting witha .389 average. He hit 5 homers and 7 doubles, gaining 24 RBIs forCoach Scott Leggett’s team.

Adam Smith, a senior, was a versatile player for the Cougars. Onthe mound, he compiled a 2-3 record, chalking up 37 strikeouts and17 walks in 43 innings. At the plate, he batted .343, accountingfor 26 RBIs, 4 doubles and 2 homers.

Cody Wallace, a senior, led the Bears and Lincoln County inhomers with 7. He batted .431 and had 17 RBIs for Coach AndrewRedd’s team.

Paul Coker, a 6-foot-6 senior, fashioned a 4-1 record for theCougars. He struck out 18 batters and walked 6. He posted a 1.52ERA.

HONORABLE MENTION WITH DISTINCTION

Bogue Chitto: Lindsey Jackson, Todd Davis, Scott Edwards, JohnWallace, Cody Wallace.

Brookhaven: Adam Ogden, Grant McDonnieal, Reggie Smith, CoreySmith.

Brookhaven Academy: Ben Sandifer, Ryan Nix, Layne Moreton, BenDavis.

Enterprise: Caleb Smith, David Russell, Blake McKee, DarrenBrady.

Loyd Star: David Cuevas, Logan Portrey, Jared Britt.

West Lincoln: Cody Mitchell, Jeremy Branning, Landon Case.