TO TEAMMATES: Seniors Abby Henderson, Macy Hand, Loralee Bennett and Bailee Williams giggle as they present gag gifts to their teammates. Gifts ranged from Sweet Tarts to a watch to a microphone.

TIFTON — Tift County middle and high school softball teams brought their 2023 seasons to a formal end Dec. 6 with the annual banquet held at Tift County High.

Head coach Taylor Barber’s team missed the state tournament this year, they were a great bunch, he said. “The best group of kids I’ve been around.” So much so that Barber said it may be his favorite team to have coached.

They have continued to believe in the 1-0 mantra, which has expanded beyond being a single-year phrase: “1-0 is a longterm goal,” he said.

Before talking about varsity, Barber bragged about the junior varsity program, which was reinstated for its third year. Thirteen players made up the roster, 11 of them in eighth grade.

“They did a tremendous job,” Barber said.

Though they squeaked above .500 at 7-6, their last few games saw the Lady Devils outscore opponents 43-4.

Awards for varsity and junior varsity spanned many categories, beginning with student-athlete awards for those with a grade-point average of 90 or better. Bailee Williams, Abby Henderson, Ella Bruce, Braylin Dorden, Macy Hand and Lily Robinson all qualified. Players have to be in 10th-12th grades to be eligible for this award.

Coaches’ Award for junior varsity went to Aubrey Hale. Lyla Moore won the pitching award, with Marlee Veazey getting the honors for offense and Jenna Gill for defense. Most Improved was Stella Bryant.

For varsity, Lily Robinson was Pitcher of the Year. Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year went to Williams and Morgan Brey, respectively. Bruce won Most Improved.

Williams also earned the Players’ Choice Heart and Hustle award.

Barber moved into awards beyond their own dugout.

All-Region awards were voted on by all the coaches, though none could vote for his or her own players. Stats for these awards were only region stats.

Williams and Robinson were first team picks. Loralee Bennett and Bruce merited second team, with Hand at honorable mention.

Bennett and Williams both played in the Georgia Dugout Club All-State game Nov. 19 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Barber then took time to honor all four members of the senior class — Henderson, Hand, Williams and Bennett.

“They have been the leaders around here for quite some time,” Barber said, admitting they “were dealt a tough hand as freshmen.” Thanks to their leadership, he said the culture and expectations have changed around Tift County softball.

“These four have had an impact on me,” Barber said. They were welcome to return at any time to Lady Devils Diamond, he said.

Barber also had a special honor for Booster Club President, Bret Henderson, who is stepping down now that Abby Henderson is soon to graduate. For all of his hard work and dedication, Barber presented Henderson with a No. 1 Tift County uniform in a shadowbox.

To help build the high school program, eighth graders play with the junior varsity. In their absence the middle school program began the year with 12 bodies, according to head coach Kaitlin Tucker. The number soon increased to 14, then got a further boost with the addition of fifth graders.

The middle school Lady Devils finished 5-5 and finished second in the conference after advancing to the championship game.

“I could not be more proud of every single girl who is part of our team,” Tucker said.

Like the high school, middle school had several awards.

Most Improved was Addison Baker; Coaches’ Award went to Kendall Drawdy. Ashlyn Massey won Offensive MVP while Jaylin McCant earned Defensive MVP. Overall MVP was Allie Lee.

Bret Henderson gave the prayer at the start of the banquet, then talked some booster business, praising Barber for all his work. Barber then gave his thanks to all who made the season work. He began with his family, his wife Elizabeth Ann and son Keegan. He also introduced the assistant coaches and trainers.