By Laurence Hilliard
Choctaw Plaindealer
The Choctaw County fast-pitch softball team has a new coach and a new region, but a veteran team.
Lance Thomas takes over from long time head coach Mike Brown and the Lady Chargers moved from 5-3A in South Mississippi to 3-3A in North Mississippi. Thomas previously was an assistant softball coach at Ackerman prior to consolidation with Weir and has been an assistant football coach for eight years at Ackerman and Choctaw County.
Six starters, all seniors, return from last year's team that finished 17-8 and reached the third round of the MHSAA playoffs with series sweeps of Perry Central and Wesson. They are catcher Allie
Brown, pitcher and third baseman Lizzie Thomas, centerfielder Shakeria Smith, shortstop Ayana Taylor, first baseman Brysa Maxwell and infielder/outfielder Laiana Cork.
Cork is a three-sport athlete in volleyball, basketball and softball. The other five play one other sport – Brown, Thomas and Smith in volleyball; Taylor and Maxwell in basketball.
“This is their last go round and athletically they have done a lot for this school,” Thomas said. “I'm very appreciative of them. They're very good leaders.”
Brown led the Lady Chargers at the plate last year with a .418 average. Maxwell batted .400, Cork .378, Smith .359, Taylor .329 and Thomas .288 with 23 RBIs. Thomas was the Number 2 pitcher last year, but moves up to the top spot with the graduation of Makenzie Toombs. She was 2-2 last year with a 4.61 ERA.
Two underclassmen expected to make strong contributions are sophomore Caden Miles in left field and Kalee Goodin, an eighth grader, as a utility player.
Thomas said defense will be the key for the team. “We have girls who are pretty good offensively, but the key for us is how we play defensively.”
The Lady Chargers will compete in a region with Amanda Elzy, Charleston, Ruleville Central and J.Z. George. Charleston is the only other team that reached the playoffs last year, an opening round loss to Independence.
