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2023 Colquitt County softball team honored at annual banquet

wayne grandy, the moultrie observer, ga.
·3 min read

Dec. 7—MOULTRIE — Region 1-7A Player of the Year Maris Hopper and her Lady Packer teammates were honored recently at the annual Colquitt County softball banquet.

The varsity Lady Packers went 20-12 and were the region runners-up.

The team's roster included seniors Hopper, Carli Pearson, Kaden Sutton and Jayden Sullivan; juniors Montana Tatum, Libby Wetherington, Emily Holweger and RaJayla McBride; sophomores Rheyghan Harrell, Laney Burley, Peyton Arrington, Kamry Paulk, Ava Fields and Ashton Manley; and freshmen Lilah Thompson, Rhylee Tillery and Gracie McKellar.

The Colquitt County seniors helped lead a program that won 88 games over the last four seasons.

"This group always approached the game the right way," Lady Packers head coach Chance Pitts said.

Pitts called Hopper's senior-season performance "nothing short of amazing."

"She absolutely tore it up," he said of Hopper. "We always liked it when she came to bat. We knew something good was going to happen."

Expected to be the team's top pitcher, an arm injury kept her out of the circle for virtually the entire season, but she turned in the best offensive performance of her four-year Lady Packer career.

She hit .509, with 14 doubles, six triples and six home runs while driving in 42 runs, earning a berth in the Georgia Dugout Club All-Star game.

Hopper was named the Lady Packers offensive Most Valuable Player and topped the team's offensive points chart with 218 points.

Pitts noted that the goal is for players to earn 100 points, a sign of an outstanding offensive season.

As a pitcher, Hopper also leaves the Lady Packers program with a 15-4 record and having struck out 137 batters in her three years in the circle.

Pearson joined Pitts and Hopper at the GDC all-star game held at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Also a four-year contributor, Pearson moved from second base to shortstop and played extraordinary defense as a senior.

"She made that move seamlessly and was a dang-good hitter for us," Pitts said.

The team's Defensive Most Valuable Player also batted a career-high .423 with eight doubles, five triples and four home runs. She drove in 27 runs, had 151 offensive points and joined Hopper and McBride on the All-Region first team.

Pearson did not miss a game over the four years she was a Lady Packer.

Pitts characterized Sullivan, the varsity manager, as "the team mom."

"She would do anything for us the last two years," he said of Sullivan. "She was like a sixth coach."

Arrington, Sutton and Wetherington were named to the all-region second team.

Hopper, Pearson, McBride, Burley, Wetherington, Tatum, Harrell, Arrington, Paulk and Fields earned the team's scholar-athlete awards.

Pitts introduced his staff, which includes top assistant Spenser Richardson, who works with the pitchers; Ryan Davis, outfielders; Rhonda Manley, infielders; Will Stuckey, who works with the catchers and is the junior varsity head coach; and seventh- and eighth-grade coaches Ashley Legaspi and Naomi Goodno.

Stuckey introduced the junior varsity team that includes Hannah Luckey, Gracie McKellar, Bryleigh Webb, Jade Lasseter, Rhylee Tillery, Taylor Hewitt, Anna Lynn Armstrong, Ayari Thornton, Madison Ford, Ella Crawford, Lilah Thompson and manager Ava Fields.

The team went 9-4.

"They've got the tools and they've got the skills," Stuckey said. "They showed promise. But we've still got some work to do."

Tillery was the junior varsity team's points leader.

Pitts also presented an award to booster club treasurer Rebecca Hopper for her contributions to the program.