Local players honored

By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
Nov. 13, 2002
East Mississippi was well represented on the 2002-2003 Mississippi High School Activties Association All-State Slow Pitch Tournament players.
State Champions West Lauderdale and Clarkdale each had four players on the team. Union, the runner-up in 1A, had three players. Newton County, which made the South State 3A finals against West Lauderdale, had two players. Neshoba Central also had two players picked on the 4A team.
Coach Jerry Boatner's Lady Knights won their fifth state title in slow-pitch after sweeping Kossuth in two games at Legion Park's V.A. Fields back on Oct. 31 in Jackson.
Named to the 3A All-State team were Katie Moulds, Holly Herrington, Amy Frazier and senior Kristina Gardner.
From Newton County, Kristen and Suzanne Chaney were tabbed.
Clarkdale won its four state 2A title under coach Rick Roberson after sweeping Mooreville 14-11 and 4-3 at the V.A. Fields.
Senior outfielder JorD'an Orr led the 2A honorees. Juniors Emily Howard who played in left field, and junior shortstop Megan Potate and junior second baseman Brandi Wright were also named.
For Union, who finished second behind champion Ingomar in the 1A State Tournament, the club had Marley Smith, Tiffany Thomas and Lauren White named to the All-State 1A team.
Curiously, no one from Northeast Lauderdale was named to the Class 4A Team. The Lady Trojans finished 29-8 and won the South State 4A title before falling to three-time champion New Hope in the 4A title series at Jackson.
New Hope had four players on the team. Brookhaven, who lost to Northeast for the 4A South State title in Meridian, had two players. Neshoba Central, who was beaten by New Hope at North State, got pitcher LIndsey Smith and Dacie Brantley named to the 4A team.