Lady Tigers aim for third straight trip to region
The Hardin County High School softball team has put together two of their more impressive seasons in recent history over the last two years. The Lady Tigers have finished each of the last two seasons in the region quarterfinals.Hardin County finished last year with a record of 22-12 overall. They lost to Bolton in the region quarterfinals for the second straight season.
The Lady Tigers are optimistic about the upcoming season with several players returning who have picked up game experience over the last few seasons. Seniors Kristen Lackey, Beth Plunk, Tatia Guinn, and Karlie Roser will each be counted on to have successful seasons for the Lady Tigers.
Lackey posted a 19-12 record as pitcher for Hardin County with a 1.93 earned run average and 104 strikeouts. She also posted an impressive .430 batting average at the plate. Lackey also had a .570 on-base percentage with 25 runs, 20 RBIs, and three home runs. She also was a threat on the base paths with 17 stolen bases during her junior season.
Plunk will be the starter at shortstop for the Lady Tigers. She had a .290 batting average with a .400 on-base percentage during her junior season. Plunk scored 23 runs and also had 23 RBIs last year.
Guinn also had success at the plate last year with a .360 batting average and a .510 on-base percentage. She had 19 runs scored and 16 RBIs.
Roser returns with Guinn to solidify the outfield in 2010. Roser was a starter for Hardin County last year and will hold down the right field position this spring.
Katie McGee is expected to be the starter at first base and bat near the top of the Lady Tiger batting order this spring. Other projected starters include Katie Terry at third base, Cassidy Frazier at second base, Allie Boyd in left field, and Kaitlin Snyder at catcher.
Other players who could contribute this season include Mallory Stanley, Bell Nuzzo, Sheridan Rathai, and Taylor Wright. Karlee Wyatt will miss the 2010 season due to injury.
Head coach Jason Dennis feels like pitching, defense, and the top five in their batting order should be strengths of this year’s team. The Lady Tigers have six players returning who were very good defensively and three freshmen who should do well, according to Dennis. The Lady Tiger head coach also feels like the top half of the lineup should be very strong in 2010.
The overall goal for Hardin County is to at least equal the outcome of each of the last two seasons. “Our goals for this year are to learn a lot about the game of softball early, and hope to be playing the best softball of our season by tournament time,” said Dennis.
Lady Cardinals hope for bounce back season
The Adamsville High School softball team has proven to be one of the better programs in West Tennessee over the last few years. The Lady Cardinals reached the state tournament in 2007 and advanced to the sectional round in both 2006 and 2008.However, Adamsville failed to advance past the district tournament in 2009. They finished the season with a record of 13-16-1. The Lady Cardinals are hopeful that they can compete deep in the postseason in 2010.
Adamsville will have several players returning with experience this spring. The Lady Cardinals return seven seniors – Halley Beckham, Kasey Martin, Alaina Davis, Hilary Combs, Madalyn Bruce, Lani Rinks, and Stephanie Combs – to this year’s team. Each of these seniors will be expected to assume even larger roles this season.
Beckham, who missed all of her junior season due to injury, will be counted on as the ace of the Lady Cardinal pitching staff. Adamsville head coach Todd McGee stated that her return to her level of performance two years ago will be vital to the success of this year’s team. Freshmen Taylor Hutton and Samantha Oaks will provide depth at pitcher.
Davis will handle the catching duties for the Lady Cardinals. Sophomore Brittany Lambert will provide depth behind the plate. Rinks, a four-year starter, will anchor the infield from her shortstop position. Rinks had an on-base percentage of .444 last year during her junior season. H. Combs and Bruce will join Rinks on the infield at second and third base. Freshman Whitney Wrzeneski will play first base. Other infielders who could see time are Brianne Knight, Nikki White, and Kristina Milford.
The senior duo of S. Combs and Martin will hold down two of the outfield spots for Adamsville. Junior Corrie Hill will take care of the other spot in the outfield. Other outfield possibilities include Macayla Kiddy and Amanda Krenson.
McGee feels like two of the strengths of this year’s team will be pitching and experience. “It seemed like the entire team had a tough year at the plate last year. I am expecting us to turn that around this season. We need several of our players to perform over last year’s level. Most of our players can accomplish this if they continue to improve,” said McGee.
Local basketball players reach 1,000-point mark
Hardin County’s Amanda Henson and Carnesha Bradley each passed the 1,000-mark in scoring this season as seniors for the Lady Tiger basketball team. Henson had 1,001 career points, and Bradley finished her career with 1,019 points.Adamsville senior Graham Churchwell also passed the 1,000-point total during his final year of high school basketball. Churchwell had almost 1,100 points and finished in the top eight in school history in scoring.
Henson averaged 10 points per game during her senior season. The Lady Tiger senior played in each of her four years at HCHS. Henson averaged 5.4 points her freshman year, 12.8 points her sophomore season, and 8.8 points during her junior season. Henson also had 800 career rebounds. She averaged at least 6.5 rebounds per game in each of her four-year career at HCHS.
Bradley averaged 14 points per game last season during her senior year. Bradley finished just around double figures in her sophomore season (9.9 points per game) and totaled 10.4 points per game as a junior. She averaged four points per game during her freshman season.
Churchwell scored 15.1 points per game during his senior season. The shooting guard totaled 423 points this season while hitting 50-of-118 shots from 3-point range and 84-of-136 shots from two-point range. Churchwell also shot 88-percent from the free throw line in 117 attempts. He improved each year during his career at AHS. Churchwell scored 14 points per game as a junior and averaged 8.8 points per game as a sophomore.
Bethel bowling signs Lady Tiger Kim Qualls
The Bethel bowling team has added Lady Tiger bowler Kim Qualls. Qualls is the daughter of James Qualls and Lisa Navarro.Qualls is an accomplished bowler that has been on two state championship teams (2007 & 2009) and two state runner-ups (2008 & 2010) while at Hardin County High School.
She played the position of anchor bowler at Hardin County and in 2009, she was Miss Tennessee Bowler of the Year. Qualls believes that the best qualities she will bring to the Bethel team will her motivation and encouragement to team members.
Qualls was also being sought after by Cumberland University and Robert Morris – Peoria. She chose Bethel because she liked the way she felt on campus and because of the nursing program, her intended major.
Fishing Report
Pickwick Lake Elevation 410
Water Temp. 50
Bass
Crank your crank bait slow for best results. The best Strike King Series 3 colors have been natural colors with bright accents. Small grubs also work well right now. I have been Carolina rigging along the banks and that has been pretty productive as well. Not every trip boats a big smallmouth but now is the time to try to catch a trophy smallmouth bass, a good day will produce one or more over four pounds.
White bass
White bass continue to bite. I have caught them mostly on grubs and small crank baits while bass fishing. Some banks will just have more white bass than large mouths and small mouths, these banks tend to be gravel banks and sandy banks.
Stripers
Stripers remain tough. I do not expect to catch a large number of stripers right now but they will start biting real soon. I do not start really striper fishing until mid to late March.
Sauger
Sauger has been biting really slow the last few weeks. I starting catching them on bass fishing baits in late October and I still catch several on crank baits and spoons while bass fishing. Right now sauger jigs are accounting for most the sauger being caught. Dark jigs seem to be working best, such as dark brown, dark red and orange. A lot of people are tipping the jigs with minnows but I have yet to use live baits at this point, I prefer plastic minnows. 35’ has been a good depth but do not let that move you out of a deeper area if you are catching fish there, I often check deeper depths and more shallow depths to check to see if they are more productive.
For an online report you can go to TWRA website where you can hear me give this fishing report online. You can access it through my website www.pickwickareaguide.com and you can also go there to access TVAs website and by doing so it will take you straight to Pickwick lake.
Compliments of Clagett Talley at Talley’s Outdoors 731-607-5266 or www.pickwickareaguide.com
