Diamon Dreams: DCSS Softball Season Previews
Posted on 09/01/2023
AHS Looking to Make Another State Appearance
After earning a state playoff appearance last season, Alexander High School’s softball team is looking to repeat their efforts and make a deep run in this year’s playoffs.
Early in the season, AHS took on some of the state's most competitive teams in three early-season tournaments, notching notable victories over Carrollton in the team’s home opener and Colquitt County last Saturday.
However, the Cougars most exciting matchup came early last week against Chapel Hill in an exciting in-county, seesaw battle. The game featured back to back homeruns by Alexander juniors Baylee Dowdy and Kaylee Underwood to tie the game at three before seeing CHHS rally for a late victory.
This season, AHS will rely on its four seniors, Maya Sanchez, Jamie
Warnock, Kali Massey, and Ansley Cantrell, to lead the team. Currently, Cantrell, Massey, and Kaylee Underwood lead the team in batting average and RBI.
The Cougars will play all region opponents twice and have played three region opponents to date. They are currently 1-2 in region play, but they will have a chance to improve that record Thursday against Langston Hughes.
Panthers Boast Strong Start in Region Play
Despite the 2023 season getting off to a slow start due to rainouts, Chapel Hill High School’s softball team has made the most of each opportunity that they have to take the field. Currently, the Panthers record sits at 3-4, but they hold a 2-1 mark in their region that is good for second place.
This year, the Panthers will lean on two seniors, Lauren Thompson and Kia Carter, along with a host of young talent to help them make a push toward the state playoffs in Region 5-5A.
For now, CHHS’ goal is to continue improving daily. The Panthers take the field three times next week with two of those games being region contests.
Tigers Eyeing Improvement in 2023
Coming off a season where they missed the state playoffs, Douglas County High School’s softball team is hoping to turn things around and make a push for the playoffs in 2023.
So far in the young season, the Tigers record sits at 2-3 as they prepare to head into the bulk of their region games. This week, the Tigers will have an opportunity to improve their record with a non-region tuneup against Whitefield Academy before stepping back into region play on Thursday against East Paulding.
Lions Looking to Extend Seven-Year State Streak
Entering the 2023 season, the Lithia Springs High School softball team has one major goal – getting back to the state playoffs. The Lions have made the state tournament each of the past seven seasons, and coaches Chris Sheperd and Tim Hendrix believe that this year’s team has the ability to reach the tournament once again.
With this goal in mind, the Lions have their work cut out for them, as they will be tasked with replacing four starters from last year’s team that graduated. To do this, Sheperd says that he is expecting his team to improve each time they take the field in order to make a push for a spot in the playoffs.
“I feel that as the season progresses, we will find our groove and get back to our winning ways,” Shepherd said.
Currently, the Lions record sits at 3-4 overall, but they will have a chance to improve that mark with two upcoming region games next week against Midtown and Villa Rica.
Jaguars Seeing Daily Improvement from Young Squad
In their 10th season of existence, New Manchester High School’s softball team is looking to turn a corner and earn a state playoff berth.
To reach their goals this season, the Jaguars will lean on their two
returning starters, Faith Bush and Taniya James, along with a host of young talent. With so many young players, head coach Chuck Walker said that the team’s goal in the early part of the season is to get better every day to prepare for a competitive region schedule.
The early portion of NMHS’ schedule has been chaotic, as rain has prevented the team from taking the field as much as it would like. However, the Jaguars look forward to taking the field next Thursday after the break for another region game against South Paulding.