By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

With the three high school softball teams in St. John Parish surprising a lot of people this season, there are many who deserve recognition for bringing each of these teams farther than some had anticipated.

But don’t tell that to the coaches. I’m sure they expected it.

In starting off, let us review the successes that each club had this season. To start off, East St. John’s squad was in the competetive district 5-5A along with Hahnville and Destrehan. But the Lady Wildcats, led by Head Coach Amy Pitre, managed to leave an impression on their opponents, and made the playoffs in Pitre’s first year at the helm. Riverside likewise provided fans with excitement as the Lady Rebels kicked it up in the final months of the season and made a streak through the playoffs. John Curtis, the eventual state champion, survived a tight 2-0 game against RA, but it was the third time in three years that the Lady Rebels had reached the finals tournament.

St. Charles may have been the biggest surprise in local softball this season with narrow wins through nearly every round of the playoffs, reaching the championship game against Curtis and ace pitcher Ashley Brignac, who had swept them already in district play. But the Lady Comets put up a fight and walked away with the state runner-up title after a 6-0 final.

So in selecting an all-star team out of here, there were a number of options. One pitcher from each team deserved a spot including Mary Clement, of SCC, Kara St. Amant, of RA and Lacey Sutton, of ESJ. All three helped to lead their team through the toughest stretches of play and did it by game management.