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Senior outfielder makes elite softball team

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By DAVE NICHOLSON

dnicholson@tampatrib.com

Published: May 6, 2009

PLANT CITY - This was a very hard year to make the All-Western Conference softball First Team. A Plant City senior did it.

Comprised of the nine east Hillsborough schools, most of whom had very good years, there was only room in the Federal Division for 11 players and Plant City High senior outfielder Tara "Red" Thomas made the First Team. The squad was announced April 29.

The Western Conference is comprised of the Hillsborough County public school athletic teams. Plant City and Durant are in the Federal Division along with Bloomingdale, Brandon, East Bay, Lennard, Newsome, Riverview and Spoto. The division's head coaches vote on the all-star teams.

Thomas' numbers were impossible to ignore. She hit .482 and swiped 29 bases.

Three more Raiders made the Second Team: catcher Taylor Storey (.355, 22 RBI), outfielder Analise Coffee and Megan Still. East Bay ace Kayla Cox took First Team honors.

Durant's Kelsey Horton was the lone Cougar named all-conference, making the Second Team. Horton led the Cougars through a very strong second half of the season and finished with a .357 batting average and 25 RBI.

Bloomingdale and Riverview dominated the First Team with three players each. Both teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs last week.

In baseball, the playoff-bound Durant Cougars had its top pitcher and infielder make First Team. Adam Albers is hitting more than .400 and Austin Buck led the Cougars in innings pitchedand strikeouts.

Plant City had one player make the all-conference First Team, junior shortstop Kyle Madill, who led the Raiders with a .375 batting average.

Durant second baseman Christian Lopez and outfielder Shane McDougal were voted to the Second Team.

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