To paraphrase Frank Sinatra lyrics, “It was a very good year for small-town girls with bats and gloves.”
The highlight of 2021 for Kosciusko High School athletics came in May when the Lady Whippets won the MHSAA 4A state softball championship in dramatic fashion.
You could call them the Cardiac Kids or the Comeback Kids. Down a game against West Lauderdale in the North State final, Kosciusko battled back with two victories. Down a game against North Pontotoc in the championship series, the Lady Whippets forced a decisive third game. Down 6-1 in the seventh inning, and down to their last strike at one point, the Lady Whippets forced an extra inning with a five-run rally. Then down 9-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Kosciusko scored four runs to walk off with the golden glove.
To the victor go the spoils. Senior Kelly Hood and sophomore Campbell Blaine were chosen as first team all-state by Scorebook Live. Sophomore Gracie Williams, who delivered the walk off hit, was Clarion Ledger first team and Athlete of the Week. Hood, the team MVP, played in the MHSAA 4A/5A/6A North South all-star games.
There were other highlights during the year, but the school’s second softball championship stands out.
The boys’ basketball team finished first in Region 4-4A with a 5-1 record and reached the second round of the playoffs. The Whippets were led by seniors JaQuan Hall and Antonio Harmon.
Antonio Harmon goes up for a shot against Ripley, contributing a total of 23 points to the first-round Whippets playoff win.
Kevin Brunt / The Star-Herald
The baseball team, with only one senior in the starting lineup, finished second in 4-4A and defeated North Pontotoc in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to Mooreville.
The football team had a disappointing 2020 season, missing the playoffs because of games forfeited while the school was in quarantine. The Whippets bounded back this year with a 6-3 record, 3-2 in 4-4A, good for third place. All three losses were one-score games against highly ranked teams – 20-14 against West Lauderdale, 26-23 against Louisville and 31-24 against Caledonia in the playoffs.
Fifteen Whippets were named to all-region teams, led by quarterback MVP Ethan Wood and kicking MVP Will Carter.
The volleyball team won 4-4A with a 6-0 record and the loss of only one set in the six matches. The Lady Whippets were defeated by a talented Caledonia team in the playoffs. Junior Kaitlyn Broyles was a team leader.
The boys and girls’ soccer teams won 3-4A by default when Raymond, the region’s only other school with soccer teams, forfeited games. The current season is far more challenging in a 4-4A against teams with a strong tradition in the sport.
There were a number athletes who stood out in more than one sport, including Wood in football and basketball, Carter in football, soccer and baseball, Davion Roby in football and basketball, and Mary Kimble Price in softball and volleyball.
Athletic director Macy Wilbanks said it was a year with some ups and downs. “We still had to contend with COVID in a lot of ways. We had some games that we lost through quarantine. But on the upside we do seem to have gotten past it a little bit for attendance at games and our ability to host things without capacity limits. We were able to get somewhat back to normal, which was wonderful.”
Looking ahead to 2022, she sees progress on facility upgrades. Construction on a physical education facility near the practice field will begin and an all-weather turf for the football stadium be should ready for the 2022 season.
Kosciusko will launch girls golf during 2022.
“I think the future is bright,” Wilbanks said.
