Lady Tigers ‘eye’ conference title

NEELYVILLE — After claiming second in the Class 2 District 1 championship during the fall season, the Neelyville Lady Tigers softball team is laser-focused on being the best in their conference.

The spring season has officially gotten underway, and the Lady Tigers have gotten a few wins under their belt, with a record of 4-1 to start the season. Head coach Daniel Sexton said their game plan for this season is to win and to carry over the Lady Tigers’ solid play from the fall.

“I feel pretty good about the season,” Sexton said. “We’re just trying to extend what we did in the fall. Towards the end of the year, I felt we finally came around and played like we could compete with any team in our district. We’re just trying to build from there and keep going to get ready for next fall.”

Sexton said the Lady Tigers’ mindset is to win. He intends to keep the winning spirit going for the spring. He wants them to learn from their mistakes and keep improving, which Sexton said is the fun part about coaching this squad.

Some notable players for the Lady Tigers include seniors Layni Dobbins and Hannah Hover, who will be big leaders for them, Reese Dobbins, Parker Ernst and many others that Sexton believes can add to their mission of winning the conference.

“I got a good group of girls coming back for the spring,” Sexton said. “They work hard, but it helps that they’re talented too, so it helps me become better because I’m learning. These girls were All-District, All-Conference and All-Region, so I trust this team immensely. They know more than I do most of the time, and they’re just great kids overall, and I love coaching them.”

Though the Lady Tigers will have to wait until next fall to redeem their loss in the district championship, Sexton said getting the conference title will be an excellent void filler until then.

“I want to win,” Sexton said. “ I want to see a conference win, and I know the girls want the championship.”

Despite falling short in the district championship, Layni Dobbins said the team fought hard, and they’re motivated to go all out for the spring season. With this being Dobbins’ last season, she’s eager to live in the moment of being a Lady Tiger.

“This year has been a learning experience, but I feel like it’s been a huge bonding experience,” Dobbins said. “I can’t thank everyone enough for the great senior year that I’ve had for softball and basketball. I’m just excited to see what the spring brings us so we can carry on what we had going on in the fall. Our mindset is always the same. In every game or tournament, we intend to give it everything we got and just try to land some wins.”

The Neelyville Lady Tigers softball team celebrates Reese Dobbins after connecting with a homerun in a matchup against Twin Rivers during the fall. DAR/D�Courtland Christian

Dobbins said the Lady Tigers can make some noise in this conference with a chance to win it all. She wants to show everybody what they got and prove some people wrong.

Ernst showcased some solid hitting to kick off the fall season but fell short towards the end, so she’s put in a lot of work for the spring in hopes of being elite at the plate for most of the season.

“So far, we’re feeling pretty good,” Ernst said. “We had some trial and error with our second baseman getting hurt, but we’ve been moving guys around. Some of us are playing in different spots and looking good. What I admire the most is that no one is complaining about it and doing whatever is needed for us to win. We’ve always been an all-around team with defense and have a few pretty good hitters. Reese is amazing at the plate, so we all kind of look up to her for hitting. I’m hoping to work with her and her dad a little more to be better for this season.”

The Neelyville Lady Tigers softball team celebrates Reese Dobbins after connecting with a homerun in a matchup against Twin Rivers during the fall. DAR/D�Courtland Christian