ELLISVILLE — Wednesday saw three New Hope softball players honored at the Mississippi Association of Coaches All Stars Fast Pitch Softball Recognition banquet at Jones College.
Three Trojans were selected for all-star teams, including two to the Mississippi High School Activities Association 4A/5A/6A North Junior All-Star team and one to the North Rising Stars team.
“All three have a huge impact and competitive nature, so they offer a competitive drive to model behavior for our program and what we want our players to have,” New Hope head coach Casey Finch Halford said. “Complacency can hurt a program, so it’s important to have kids that stay hungry to continue to improve their craft and motivate others to do the same.”
Rising seniors Zoe Goodman and Adi Dueitt were selected to the junior team, coached by Halford, and rising junior Jeoreia Henry was selected to the rising stars team.
In 2022, the Trojans lone all-star representative was then-junior Kensley Woolbright, and Halford is pleased that the Trojans’ success this season was awarded with increased recognition.
“You always want to see your kids recognized for their talents, so knowing that other coaches and committees in the state are acknowledging their work ethic means that all that they do outside of actual games is paying off in those games to be recognized,” Halford said.
Additionally, five Trojan juniors and seniors are scheduled to play in the North Mississippi Softball Coaches Association All-Star games at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville next week.
Halford was part of the coaching staff for the NMSBCA All-Star games in 2022 and now is experiencing that from the MAC perspective in 2023.
“I’m really excited to watch them play in these games,” Halford said. “They are on the field with other teammates and coaches with like-minded goals, competitive edge, and dreams, so it’s really a lot of fun to watch.”
New Hope returns Goodman, Dueitt, Henry and a number of other key contributors next season as the Trojans look to repeat as Class 5A, Region 1 champions, and make a run at a 5A state championship.
“They are definitely a returning core that we expect leadership roles from,” Halford said. “We are confident in their abilities to do that and help continue our goals to continue growing.”
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