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Durant Has Eye On Medals

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By NICK WILLIAMS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

PLANT CITY - For the last two years, members of the Durant softball team were asked to assist the FHSAA at the state softball tournament at Plant City Stadium.

Their duties included filling Gatorade containers for the players, guiding cars in the parking lot and arranging the state championship medals.

"It was like, 'God, I want one of these,'" said Durant senior pitcher Sara DeMuth, who wore the medals when no one was looking. "They were heavy."

"You picture yourself getting it," junior shortstop Kelsey Horton said. "And third place doesn't get it."

The Cougars (25-5) will attempt to reach the Class 6A state championship game when they face Palm Beach Gardens (27-4) tonight in the state semifinals at Plant City Stadium at 7 p.m.

This weekend marks the farthest the program has been since 2002. The program never has won a state title.

For the players, competing for a state title never seemed feasible.

"The first day of practice this year, I asked coach 'Do we always look this bad?" senior catcher Kristen Jones said.

"We're better than I thought we were going to be," Horton said.

DeMuth, who has signed with Augusta State, has led the Cougars on the mound. She is 19-3 with a 0.34 ERA, 170 Ks and nine shutouts.

Horton, Jones and freshman Lauren Wolfe are all hitting above .400, while Jones leads the team in hits with 39. Junior outfielder Brandi Regan, probably the fastest player on the team, leads the squad in runs scored (26) and stolen bases (9).

"We've worked hard for all of this," Regan said.

To advance to the state tournament, the 6A-District 8 champs defeated Gaither 6-2, Countryside 4-2 in nine innings and Winter Garden West Orange 3-1. Countryside eliminated the Cougars in the region quarterfinals the past two years.

"We're one game away from getting a medal and two away from winning the whole thing," DeMuth said.

Coach Matt Carter said he is proud of the team, win or lose.

"If we do the best we can, we have nothing to complain about," he said. "We have a lot of respect for all of the teams here. They've got a lot of confidence and they're glad to be here."

As kids, DeMuth, Jones and junior first baseman Erika Wetherington played on a travel team that was one win away from playing in the World Series.

People told them opportunities like those are few and far between.

"People always say you won't realize the significance of something like that until after the moment," said Wetherington, who is tied with Horton for a team-high five home runs. "I'm relishing it now."

And those medals are waiting.

"Maybe there'll be someone sorting them for us," Jones said.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 865-4848 or nwilliams@tampatrib.com.

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