All Gary Harris wants is an opportunity.
It concerned him Thursday that he wasn’t able to get much of a scouting report for the Heritage Academy fast-pitch softball team’s opponent in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA North State tournament. Harris also had to dismiss the complications that his team would have to face the host team on its home field if it won its first game.
To make matters worse, Harris couldn’t help worry that senior catcher Macy Walters’ sprained ankle was going to bother her this weekend and affect her ability to handle senior pitcher Kaitlyn Oswalt.
With all of those thoughts nagging at him, Harris regrouped and turned the focus to something his team could control: a chance to finish in the top four of the 12-team field this weekend at Bayou Academy in Cleveland. To realize that goal, Heritage Academy (16-7) first will have to beat Park Place Christian at 10 a.m. Saturday. From there, a victory against Bayou Academy would put Heritage Academy on the easiest path to advance to Monday’s action, which will feature six teams. Two of those teams will be eliminated, leaving the top four to advance to the overall Class AAA state tournament.
Starkville Academy will join Heritage Academy in the Class AAA tournament, while Oak Hill Academy will compete in the Class AA North State tournament at Carroll Academy. Central Academy will play host to the Class A North State tournament this weekend in Macon. Hebron Christian also will be on hand in Macon.
As much as all of those factors listed above would bother any coach, Harris said his team can’t allow those things to disrupt its focus.
“It is going to be a little tougher than it has been from a numbers standpoint,” Harris said. “If it sets up just right, there is the potential to play four consecutive games in one day, and that is going to be tough on our kids, but it is a challenge. It is something we’re going to have to weather.”
Harris hopes Walters, who was wearing a boot on her foot to practice Thursday, will be able to handle the rigors of moving behind the play, especially with a hard thrower like Oswalt. Despite splitting two district matchups with Leake Academy, Harris said he is curious to see how his players respond in what he expects will be a very competitive tournament. He said the Patriots have played strong competition this season, but he isn’t sure if his team is sharp because he doesn’t feel it has been tournament tested recently.
“If you look at schedules, we have definitely played a much, much tougher schedule than Park Place,” Harris said. “Hopefully that will pay dividends for us Saturday, but, then again, you have to go play.”
Harris said a victory would push Heritage Academy into a matchup against Bayou Academy, which dropped to a No. 2 seed and into Heritage Academy’s half of the bracket, after it lost to North Delta School and had its run of eight-straight district titles snapped. A victory would secure Heritage Academy a spot in the six-team field Monday. A loss would force the Patriots to win two more games Saturday in the losers’ bracket to reach Monday.
As daunting as that sounds, Harris likes the progress his players have shown this season. He said now it is up to them to make it happen against some of the state’s best teams.
“Hopefully we will only need two wins (Saturday) and be able to get out of there and come home,” Harris said. “It is definitely doable. We have proven that against good teams. I would love to be sitting here Tuesday this is how we got it done.
“I can want it all I want. I can want it for my seniors all I want. I can want it for the rest of them, but it is going to rely on them to show up focused, not to let the distractions of the football game (against Starkville Academy) to affect them.”
Central Academy coach Sammy Lindsey can empathize with Harris because he has a different feeling of uneasiness entering this weekend. Lindsey’s apprehension comes from the fact that Central Academy is playing host to the Class A North State tournament for the first time.
At 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Lindsey was still at the school’s softball complex getting things set up. He said he was having to put up a temporary fence at the school’s slow-pitch softball field so it will be ready to go for this weekend’s action.
With nine slow-pitch state titles to his program’s credit, Lindsey hopes getting a chance to stay close to home will help the team take the initial step to the program’s first fast-pitch state title.
“The girls seem to be excited because it is something they have never done before,” Lindsey said of playing host to the tournament. “In their eyes — and we talked about it — I think we have a good chance to do well as long as play like we’re capable of.”
Lindsey thanked the parents of his players for helping get the complex cleaned up for the onslaught of the eight teams that will descend on the campus Saturday. As one of two No. 1 seeds (Tunica Academy is the other), Central Academy is one of the favorites to win the event and to advance to the overall State tournament. Lindsey said the return of Ashly Brown and Kelsey Robbins from injuries earlier this week has come at the right time. He said his team has survived with a lineup littered with junior varsity players against a schedule packed with higher classification teams to finish 11-9. Central Academy went 6-0 in the District 2.
Despite being a No. 1 seed, Lindsey has some concerns. He said he isn’t sure if pitcher Courtney Gaylord will be 100 percent this weekend. He said she has battled an assortment of ailments this season. The positive side of Gaylord’s situation has been pitcher Allie Beth Rigdon has emerged in the circle. If Gaylord is healthy moving forward, Lindsey said he likes his team’s chances wherever it plays.
“We have gotten healthy at the right time and gotten a little experience back,” said Lindsey, whose team hasn’t lost to a Class A opponent this season. “Just from a few remarks they have made, I think they know they need to perform well. … There is going to be a little added pressure. You’re supposed to defend your home territory, and we usually play well at home. I think we should do well, and I expect us to do well, and I hope the girls expect us to do well.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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