For a lot of teams and a lot of players, the end of the softball season is tinged with disappointment. Once the postseason begins, every team except the state champion finishes the season with a loss. And for seniors, the last game marks the end of a career.
But years after the final out is recorded, the memories will remain.
Hopefully, they are memories the players and coaches we’ve worked with all year will cherish.
As we conclude the 2014 campaign, here are some of the people and events that left us with our most vivid memories. Without further delay, we present our season-ending awards.
Coach of the Year: Greg Heydet, Council Rock South. Not much was expected when Heydet took over the Golden Hawks. The school had never had a lot of success in softball, and Heydet himself was the team’s third coach in four years. But his players exceeded all expectations and wound up being awarded a spot in the District One Class AAAA tournament. And the Golden Hawks likely won’t be one-year wonders.
The lineup was liberally stocked with underclassmen. The future for this program looks bright.
Most Improved Team: Pennsbury. The Falcons came into the season with heavy graduation losses and low expectations. They ended up claiming a piece of the Suburban One National title and were clearly the team that showed the most improvement from the start of the season to its conclusion.
Players Most Valuable to Their Team: (in no particular order) Mary Wallick (Bristol), Sam Offenback (Neshaminy), Becca Dougherty (Council Rock South).
Unsung Heroes: Farryl Groder (Pennsbury), Sam Offenback (Neshaminy). Some athletes make contributions that go above and beyond what’s in a box score. Groder was the Falcons’ only senior starter.
Situations of that sort can be awkward but Groder proved an able role model for her teammates. One of the area’s top outfielders, she even switched positions, moving to second base late in the season. Her resolve was a big reason the Falcons shared a league title and reached the District One Class AAAA quarterfinals.
Offenback, who just completed her junior season, was a veteran catcher working with an inexperienced pitching staff. That’s an art in itself. An experienced catcher inspires confidence in her pitchers.
Top Teams to Watch in 2015
1. Pennsbury
2. Council Rick South
3. Bristol
4. William Tennent
5. Neshaminy
Note that the person making these predictions picked California Chrome to win the Belmont.
Odds and Ends
Morrisville coach Lisa Colon was named Coach of the Year in the Bicentennial League’s Constitution Division. A Morrisville grad herself, Colon has just completed her second season. She’s fortified the Bulldog program while never letting her players forget that education comes first.
Finally
Our thanks to the coaches, players, administrators and umpires who offered their insights and assisted us over the course of the season.
Covering softball in Bucks County is, to say the least, an enjoyable assignment. We’re already looking forward to 2015.