Community gives back to champion softball team


To the tune of “Y’all Ready for This?” 13 outstanding young female athletes, all dressed alike in white crop pants, blue jerseys, corsages, bracelets and flip-flops, were presented at the athletic version of debutante recognition Sunday afternoon at the Aycock Recreation Complex.

“Do y’all realize what these young ladies have done?” George Watkins kept asking people in the crowd as they ate lunch and had for dessert a large cake with a picture of the Henderson-Vance 12-and-under girls softball team on it.

Here is what they have done. For the first time, a team from Vance County not only has gone past the state level, but has played in the Babe Ruth World Series. In addition, pitcher Jessica Rowland smashed the World Series record of 33 strikeouts with 45 during the event in Cherry Hill, N.J. Jessica was in Florida playing ball and could not attend the celebration. But she was reached by speaker phone, and the crowd got to cheer her accomplishments.

Team manager David Pulley and assistant coaches Randy Garrett, Scott Burwell and Pat Pulley got the most out the girls.

As the girls sat at the front tables under the state flag that had accompanied them to all the games, and as they practiced their best manners, a crowd of about 110 with parents, siblings, grandparents, and county and city officials congratulated and praised the young ladies for their athletic ability and talents as well as their sportsmanship and personalities.

“Without athletics, people in New Jersey would not know what wonderful young ladies we turn out in Vance County,” said Watkins, who with Steve Osborne presented each athlete a diamond-shaped Lucite trophy. That was after four presentations of awards: one from the county Board of Commissioners, presented by Chairman Tim Pegram; one from the city of Henderson, presented by Mayor Clem Seifert; one from the North Carolina House of Representatives; and a letter from Gov. Mike Easley, who expressed great pride in all the girls did.

With all of those awards, plus the trophies from the wins the Henderson-Vance girls piled up on their way to finishing fourth in the nation, Alan Gill had to order a trophy case for the Aycock center to hold the accolades. Pegram said: “These girls will remember this the rest of their lives, and the older they get, the more they will appreciate what they have done.”

Soon, out came a large, gold-foil-wrapped package. The girls had to kneel on the floor as 15 or more cameras took shots at what emerged: a huge sign of a green softball field with all their names and positions and a banner to hang over it to recognize all their accomplishments. And while some had wanted to keep the shiny paper, the sign when uncovered was a big hit. It will hang inside the Aycock complex.

The only downer of the afternoon came when Sandy Brummitt informed the crowd that the New Orleans-area team of Louisiana girls whom Henderson-Vance played in the World Series now is scattered across the country. Brummitt asked for donations of money for the team.

Special thanks went out to C&P Body Shop, which has sponsored a team for the past five years and was on the winning end this time. Van driver Kevin Collins, the “git it done” man, was applauded by the girls, as was William Ealey.

Aside from the food, awards and recognition, the girls got access to the pool with four invited guests. Before the music could ratchet up, most of the adults were clearing out.