Jefferson Davis Academy Wins 1st Girl’s State Title In 19 Years

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Bluffton — With an 11-1 win over the Cross School at Bluffton High on May, 14 the Jefferson Davis Academy Raiders softball team (14-7) won the school’s first girl’s state title in any sport, since the basketball team won gold 19 years ago, sweeping the series in two games to claim the SCISA Class A championship.

The dog pile on top of senior pitcher Reagan Still, at the end of the game, exemplified all the raw emotion that had gone into this historic season, and fulfilled a pledge that head coach Bart Owens had made to the team, in the team huddle, after the Raiders were swept in two games against Holly Hill Academy last season. “The night that we lost to Holly Hill at JDA last season I told the team that if everybody comes to work and does their job that we have the pitcher and the catcher and everything in place for us to win a state championship this season,” said Coach Owens. “I told them we just have to go get it done.

“After three innings we decided as a coaching staff we were going to small ball and see how we could do and we were able to follow that up with some hits and from that point on the pressure was on them,” said Coach Owens. “We made great plays on defense, put the ball in play, ran the bases well, and we just did everything the way you are supposed to in this game.

 “There was no better way to send out Reagin Still than with a state championship,” said Coach Owens. “She is the best pitcher I’ve ever coached at JDA and she has been the main pitcher in our softball program since the 8^th grade. I couldn’t be happier for her and those final two strike-outs in the final inning were just fantastic.”

The only other senior on the JDA team is third baseman Gylian Googe who came on strong, playing her best softball of the season during the playoffs.

Still, who is headed to Florence-Darlington Tech to play softball, told the HSSR from the field, “I have never been prouder of this team,” she said. “This was a goal of ours all season. It’s just a proud moment for the whole team. My goal is to keep improving on my pitching and to get faster and faster.”

Still has been named the HSSR-SCISA Class A Player of the Year by the HSSR. Joining Still on the HSSR-SCISA Class A all-state softball team will be catcher Kinlee Ray, center fielder Carrie Lynn Loadholt, infielder Sydney Owens and Googe.

After three scoreless innings Still appeared locked into a pitcher’s dual with Savannah Hollings of the Cross School. However, JDA put up six runs in the top of the fourth inning to break the game wide-open.

Kaylee Jackson led off the JDA, in the 4^th, with a single followed by an infield hit from Jamilynn Mock. Both runners advanced on a sac bunt from junior Madeline Respass. Two batters later, Elie Fogle’s infield hit scored Jackon to put JDA up 1-0 while also loading the bases. Catcher Kinlee Ray was up next and her single scored Mock to make it 2-0. A third run came in on a passed ball from courtesy runner Esme Montejano.

Junior Rynn Fickling then singled in Fogle to make  it 4-0 and Still singled in Ray to make it 5-0. Then, on a head’s up play, Fickling stole home for the sixth and final run of the JDA 4^th inning.

In the bottom of the 5^th the Stingrays scored their only run of the game. Alaysia Hollings led off with an infield single and later scored on an RBI single by third baseman Bethany Carson.

JDA added five insurance runs in the 6^th inning to go up 11-1. They produced these runs on four singles by Riley York, Fickling, Googe and Jackson along with two bases loaded walks while Owens and York were batting.

Still had 8 strike-outs and allowed 9 hits during the game with no walks issued. JDA pounded out 12 hits as a team.

After the game Cross School head coach Robert Hollings told the HSSR, “We have only been a varsity program for two years, so I am very proud of my team making it into the finals,” said Coach Hollings. “We only have two seniors on the team and most of my players are 9^th graders. We hope to be back in the finals again next year.”

Coach Hollings has three daughters on the team who also play softball year-round. They are center fielder Alaysia Hollings, pitcher Savannah Hollings, and catcher Sydney Hollings.