Lee Academy seniors Jett Harrell and Maggie Etheridge will be playing sports at the junior college level, but they still have things to accomplish before graduation.
Harrell, who will be a pitcher, first baseman, third baseman and outfielder, at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, was a pitcher on the Blue team from the North half of the state in the MSAIS All-Star Softball Game. The Blue team lost to the White team 6-5.
Etheridge, a forward, was on the Blue team in the MSAIS All-Star Soccer Game. The Blue team defeated the White team 5-1. She will be playing singles tennis at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus.
Both games were at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland.
Harrell pitched three innings in the softball game and doubled in her only at bat. She gave up three runs in her first inning on the mound and held her opponents scoreless in the next two innings.
“I came out kind of bad,” Harrell said. “Then I did better the next two innings.”
Harrell’s double came as the leadoff batter for the inning.
“I hit it in the gap between left and center,” Harrell said.
The game came right down to the end.
“It was a really close game, but we ended up losing in the last inning,” Harrell said.
The Fillies earned fifth place in the softball state tournament and Harrell finished the season recording 199 strikeouts in 139 innings on the mound.
Etheridge played 15 minutes in each of the 30-minute periods.
“I shot (the ball), but I didn’t make any,” Etheridge said. “I was on offense the whole game.”
But she made a defensive play that helped her team.
“I did steal the ball once,” Etheridge said.
Both Fillies reflected on their experiences fondly.
“It was really fun for me to be able to play with all the people that I’ve been playing against all these years,” Harrell said. “It was like the best of the best playing with each other and it was fun to be able to have the competition and be on a team that had all the talent that it did.”
Etheridge concurred.
“It was just fun meeting the new people and getting to play with people who really knew what they were doing,” Etheridge said.
There was no banquet for either game due to COVID, but all other events proceeded as usual.
Softball season may be finished, but Harrell is still preparing for college.
“I play travel ball, so now that school softball is over, I went straight into fall ball,” Harrell said. “Then as soon as fall ball is over, I’ll start playing summer ball for my Blue Angels softball team. I keep busy. I keep practicing.”
Harrell played high school softball in the fall, but MGCCC’s season is in the spring.
“I will have to adjust to that when I go to Gulf Coast, but I just stay busy practicing,” Harrell said.
Etheridge plays No. 2 singles for tennis in high school and still has one more season with the Fillies in the upcoming spring. She will play singles in college.
She said playing soccer helped her stay sharp for tennis. She noted both soccer and tennis require good footwork.
Etheridge stressed the importance of playing many different sports.
“I think they all kind of help you get better in different things for both sports,” Etheridge said.
Harrell expressed her gratitude toward Fillies head softball coach Tom Fleming and assistant Bill Taylor.
“I couldn’t have made it there without my coaches Tom Fleming and Bill Taylor and most of all my team and I was honored to be able to represent Lee Academy,” Harrell said.
Fleming praised Harrell’s accomplishments.
"Every now and then you get special players like she's been all year long. She's a fierce competitor,” Fleming said. “I thought she represented us really well at the All-Star Game."
Fleming said Harrell alternated innings with a pitcher from Marshall Academy. He noted the South won state championships in every classification, but Harrell still kept the game close.
"She did an outstanding job and she had a double,” Fleming said. “Jett was leaned on hard. When she went, we went."
Fleming said Harrell had an outstanding season and helped the Fillies win a game in the state playoffs.
"She's not a leadoff batter,” Fleming said. “She was forced to leadoff and did a great job at it, leading our team.
"No doubt in my mind that she'll do well at the next level. I'm very proud of her. I've coached her since she was old enough to play out there. I look at her like she was another daughter of mine. I've been rough on her at times, but I knew what her goal was to get to."
Fleming said Harrell accepted it when he pushed her hard. He added Harrell pushed herself hard to be better.
"She's going to be dearly missed, I can promise you,” Fleming said. “You don't replace players like that. We have a good team coming, but we have to have a lot of players step up."
The relationship between Fleming and Harrell extended off the field.
"I have really enjoyed coaching her through all of the good times than even the bad times,” Fleming said. “We're more like the father daughter deal."
Fleming said he and Harrell always listened to each other’s opinions.
"She's just a very special kid,” Fleming said. “I love her to death. I'm greatly going to miss her going off."
Fleming said he knows Harrell will do well in college and give a 200 percent effort.
