By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

Early last week, 12 young ladies at Rising Starr Middle School quietly turned in their softball uniforms; no fanfare, no parties, just a silent ending to a fantastic season.

According to Coach Miki Howard, the players had accomplished what no other RSMS team had ever done in the young history of the school. Not only had they won the Metro Middle School Athletic League with an amazing record of 9-1, but they also won the end of the season tournament, giving them an overall record of 13-2.

They began the season with eight straight victories, defeating Whitewater (5-1), Flatrock (8-1), Fayette Middle (11-2), Booth (10-1), Henry County's Austin Road (16-6), Eagle's Landing (7-4), Stockbridge (12-2), and Flatrock again (18-2).

Henry County gave the Panthers a surprise Oct. 1, as they edged the Panthers out 5-4. The game was tied through six grueling innings, but the Panthers could not hang on. They bounced back the next week, though, and hammered Fayette Middle 7-2.

The end of the season tournament was held at McCurry Park in Fayetteville and it further illustrated the Panthers' dominance. They advanced to the championship game without a loss, outscoring their three opponents 30-0. The final was a match against Henry County, who they had sent to the loser's bracket earlier in the tournament. Henry County edged out the Panthers once more, 4-3. They would face each other once more for the championship and the game could not have been more dramatic.

Playing in the rain, the two powerhouses dug deep into their resources and came out with one of the more exciting games played by middle schoolers. Rising Starr beat Henry County 5-2, and brought home the championship.

The Panthers set many milestones this year. It was the first time in school history that they won the season opener. They also finished the season with more wins than any other team in school history. They outscored their opponents 98-26 and produced four shutouts. Three players batted over .500 and the two pitchers, Brittany Matthews and Rebecca Guertin, combined for the most strikeouts (47) and fewest walks (14) in school history.

The Panthers are Allison DePalma, Sarah Fitzgerald, Angela Garza, Jeanine Guertin, Rebecca Guertin, Jennilee Huddleston, Sarah Huempfner, Jackie Jones, Shelly MacBean, Ashley marine, Brittany Matthews and Kelli McCalla. The coaches were Miki Howard and Billy Middlebrooks.

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