Published: May 07, 2008 03:37 pm            

Newton County wins 3A state championship

By Marty Stamper



DECATUR — About the only question remaining for the senior members of Newton County’s softball team this spring was whether they would run out of fingers before they ran out of eligibility.

Each state championship earned results in a ring for the young ladies.

“I’ve got room for one more...a real big one,” said second baseman Chelsea Pugh, a two-year starter.

Tuesday’s 7-1 win over Nettleton capped a 2-0 series sweep in the Class 3A state finals. It’s the third fastpitch state title for this year’s seniors and their fifth counting two others in slowpitch.

It’s also Newton County’s fifth fastpitch title.

This year’s seniors have participated in the state playoffs in both fastpitch and slowpitch all six years they were on the team, compiling a total record of 297-103. They won fastpitch state titles in 2003, 2007, and 2008 and were state runner-up in 2005.

In slowpitch, they won state championships in 2005 and 2007 and finished state runner-up in 2006. They tied for third place in 2002 and 2004.

“I am proud to be from such a great team with high standards,” said Paige Jones, a two-year starter in right field, who appropriately caught the final out. “Losing is not much of an option for us. Every year teamwork is what gets us there and that’s the reason we have won state championships. We have stuck together and now we will have another ring to go on our finger.”

Waiting their turn to move up from JV to varsity and contribute to the program’s success definitely isn’t all fun and games.

“We’d sit over there and watch how they did things and we had to pay attention because we’re expected to do the same things when we get out there,” said first baseman Brittney Cochran, who cracked the starting lineup as a freshman and has signed with East Central Community College.

“We’re expected to get back there every year. It’s expected from everybody. When we get up here to be seniors, it’s just tradition to carry it on.”

Expectations were so high for Tuesday’s game that lawn chairs filled the area in front of the home stands before school turned out on Monday.

“Newton County softball is a great tradition to be a part of,” added left fielder Lacey Gilmore, a two-year starter. “Three state championships were nice, but now a fourth is just icing on the cake. We set the bar high every year and it’s a great opportunity to be a part of the hard work we put into it.”

“Everybody gets along and we play really well as a team,” Cochran said. “You have to do the small things to win and we all understand our role on the team.”

“It’s awesome to end your senior year with back-to-back state championships,” Pugh said. “You couldn’t ask for anything else.

“Newton County has a great softball tradition. At the beginning of every year we set high standards. Our goal is to win a state championship. We’re

expected to be there. We’ve worked so hard for it. You couldn’t ask for a better way to go out.”

        

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