Coach Jessica Gothard’s softball team is getting ready to begin the new 2017 season. They have been practicing every day after school to prepare for their first home game Thursday, Feb. 23 against McAdory High School.

“We conditioned for most of January and have been focusing on working together as a team with fielding and hitting the past few weeks,” Gothard said.  “The girls have been working hard this pre-season in hopes of reaching Regionals and State in May.”

This year the program will have just a varsity team; no junior varsity.

“By having one team this year, we should be pretty good,” freshman Avery Lawley said.  “We will have more time to focus on one team rather than two.”

The varsity team includes seventh grader Allie Tryon; eighth graders Abbey Allred, Hannah Burk, and Hayden Dennis; freshmen Polly Holsomback, Avery Lawley, and Savanna Polk; sophomores Shannon Curl, McKenzie Hamby, Alyssa Todd, Anna Kate Oden, Candace Underwood, and Ceanna Grisham; juniors Lexi Payne and Georgia Hughes; and senior Lacey Hamrick.

“We have been practicing very hard to make sure we are ready for the upcoming season,” Polk said.

The team’s area opponents this year include Southside Selma and Prattville Christian.  Montgomery Academy does not have a team.