The South Central Conference coaches have determined their all-conference teams for 2016 softball, and the list involves several area players.
On the first team, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Haegen Boyer and Randie Richmond are among six unanimous selections. Boyer was EBF’s best run producing bat and one of the best shortstops in the area defensively. Richmond was the ace for the Rockets in the circle and also performed well offensively in the middle of the order for Head Coach Tony Fenton.
Albia’s Hannah Isley was also a unanimous selection, as the junior helped lead Albia to the regional finals in Class 3A. Centerville’s Lex Riggall and the Clarke duo of Vanessa Bakley and Sydney Richmond were also unanimous first-teamers.
The most interesting part of that six player group is the fact that all of them will return next season. All are juniors except for Richmond, who is a sophomore.
Joining them on the first team are Knoxville senior Carrie Chambers, EBF junior Claire Jager, Albia 8th grader Alex Beard, and Davis County freshman Bailea Yahnke.
On the second team, the coaches selected EBF’s Teri Lane and Reina Taylor, Clarke’s Sidney Marker and Amanda Kindred, Albia’s Jena Lawrence and Lisa Etcher, Centerville’s Taylor Jewett and Abby Sweet, Knoxville’s Ricki Hall and Emily Wallace, and Chariton’s Sarah Fuhs.
Finally, the lengthy honorable mention list has players from all seven SCC schools.
EBF’s Taryn Swartz, Payton Hynick, and Lexi Taylor were honored, along with Clarke’s Audrey Kindred. Albia’s duo of Kennedy Schroeder and Makenna Ross were listed, along with the Centerville trio of Libby Sebolt, Alyssa McElvain, and Makayla Bauer. Knoxville’s Anna Sanderson and Addy Findley were on the list, as well as four Davis County Mustangs: Shelby Clark, Connor Wilfawn, Shelby Motykowski, and Whitney Madden. Chariton’s Jessica Wiederholt, Micaela Folkers, Carly Arnold, and Maria Blong round out the honorable mention list.
The South Central Conference was won outright by EBF at 10-2, with Clarke finishing 9-3 in second. Albia was in third with a 7-5 record while Centerville and Knoxville both finished with a 5-7 conference mark. Davis County finished 4-8, and Chariton brought up the rear with a 2-10 record in the SCC.
EBF doesn’t lose anyone from their lineup heading into 2017, and Albia and Davis County have young cores that could catapult them to the top of the conference.
With this conference getting stronger by the year, it will be intriguing to see how the cards fall in 2017, but unfortunately, no SCC team will be playing for a state title in Fort Dodge this season.
