Former Bogue Chitto softball standoutMeleah Brown is making her presence felt in the high schoolcoaching ranks. She coached East Webster to the Class 2A stateplayoffs in her first year at the helm, posting a 20-8worksheet.

    Brown recently was recognized by the Starkville Daily News as itsSDN All-Area Fastpitch Softball Coach of the Year. Brown starred asa pitcher in high school and at Copiah-Lincoln Community Collegebefore winding up her education  at Mississippi State University.

    During her time at MSU, she worked as a student assistant coach atEast Webster. It was an ironic twist of fate  because Brown only had bad memoriesof East Webster.

    It was 2006 when Brown and her Bogue Chitto Lady Cats battled EastWebster in the Class 1A state playoffs. Her dream season was cutshort as the Lady Wolverines prevailed 1-0 in the South StateChampionship series.

    East Webster, based in Cumberland, was on its way to winning thefirst of four straight state titles. Brown and her teammates wereleft with a long bus ride home and a bad memory.

    East Webster almost returned to the throne room in May butEnterprise-Clarke prevailed in the Class 2A State Championshipseries.

    Senior pitcher Swayze Hollenhead of East Webster was named theSDN’s Player of the Year. She’s been in the starting lineup for sixyears.

    

    Former Enterprise softball coach Steve Sasser has accepted thecoaching job at McComb Parklane Academy and should do a great jobwith the Lady Pioneers. Sasser lives on the edge of Pike County soit should be an easy commute.

    Sasser worked hard and forged a strong softball program atEnterprise but he got caught in the political grinder last year andsuffered the consequences. To his credit, Sasser never cried foulor threatened a court suit. He wished the best for his Lady YellowJackets and kept on teaching.

    Enterprise principal Shannon Eubanks said he plans to name a newsoftball coach in the near future, as soon as the Lincoln CountySchool Board places its stamp of approval on the recommendation.Last season Charissa Burke and Chad Coon served as interim coachesand got the talented Lady Jackets to the second round of the stateplayoffs.

    Parklane has added another local coach to its staff. Wayne Rogers,former Loyd Star principal and Enterprise head football coach, hasjoined Coach Bo Milton’s staff as a defensive line coach. Rogerswas an assistant coach at Hillcrest Christian last year.

    

    Franklin County softball coach Dana Smith is hosting a coedtournament on Saturday, July 30. Entry fee is $150 per team. Entrydeadline is July 25.

    Smith said that each team member must sign a waiver form before theteam is eligible to participate. Forms are available at FranklinCounty High School, from FCHS players and Signature Embroidery inMeadville.

    For more information, contact Smith at 601-757-2850 or Emaildksmith@ftcweb.net

    Smith’s Lady Bulldogs are among the 3A teams that still playslowpitch softball in the fall.  They will host a jamboree Aug. 6 andparticipate in a Classic Aug. 13, at McComb. Their regular seasonbegins Aug. 16, when they host Lawrence County.

    Mississippi is the only state that still sanctions slowpitchsoftball. Many area schools have discontinued the outdated sport infavor of concentrating on fastpitch. Other schools have added girlsvolleyball to the athletic activities.

    Volleyball is a scholarship sport on the collegiate level. It’splayed indoors, in a gymnasium and the expenses are relativelysmall. The biggest expense is having to travel outside the area insearch of opponents.

    

The United States Softball AssociationClass E State Tournament will be held this weekend at theMonticello Sportsplex. Lawrence County Recreation Department Director Kenny Graves said 25teams are entered in four different age groups: 8-under, 10-under,12-under and 14-under.

    Graves said the tournament will begin Friday afternoon and runthrough late Saturday night. Brookhaven and Wesson have teamsentered in the tourney.

 

 

            Contact sports editor TomGoetz by Email: tgoetz@dailyleader.com