It was a rebuilding season for the Lady Panthers’ softball team this year, but the Liberty County girls and their coaching staff still had plenty to celebrate during their end-of-the-season awards dinner on Wednesday.
The team, family members and fans got together at Stafford Pavilion, where they dined buffet style and later reminisced about the season while watching a slide show of pictures.
Lady Panthers coach Jerome Standard handed out awards and also extended a special thanks to his coaching staff.
“All you have to do is dial these four numbers and you know that whatever you need will get done,” he said when presenting the service award to Paula Crowley. “The girls call her Momma Crowley and that is what she is — their momma. She is their seamstress, their statistician, their equipment manager. … She worries about the girls having everything they need for an away game, and there is nothing that she wouldn’t do for these girls.”
Senior Morgan Crowley earned two awards — the golden glove and the award the coach said he holds in the highest regard, the scholar athlete award.
“This shows that she has done everything she needs to do on the softball field but more importantly in her academics,” Standard said, adding that she should be very proud of the honor. Senior Brittany Desbiens earned the slugger award for her .345 batting average.
Victoria Anthony earned the coaches award.
“This award is a high honor,” Standard said. “Victoria has pitched, played the outfield, played catcher, third base and shortstop. She has done it all.”
Standard presented the service award to Alex Washington.
“This man spends his own money on gas, drives from the east end of the county to school, is always there to help guide the girls … and he does this without any pay. He is strictly a volunteer.”
Washington has helped with the varsity and junior varsity squads for the past few seasons.
The coach then handed out awards to the JV squad. Cassidy Collium earned the survivor award, while Rachael Smith was named the rookie of the year. The JV slugger award went to Whitney Robinson, and Stephanie Scavo received the golden glove award.
Standard urged the younger players to stay active during the offseason and participate in travel ball to keep them in shape and help them prepare for next year.
“We will have a new region again next year,” he said. “And it’s not going to be easy. We are in the softball mecca, and the next region might be just as tough as or harder than the one we just had.”