The Briarwood Academy Lady Buccaneers team members for 2008 include (front row, l-r) Rachel Coxwell, Kristian Dawson, Savannah Carani, Emily Henderson, Sherrer Long, Maria Johnson, (second row) Lizzie Keen, Carson Palmer, Hollis Wells, Gerry Hall, Anna Goolsby, Jamie Russell, (third row) Brittany Bland, Taylor Echols, Brittini Phelps, Erin Phelps, Sarah Nutial, Taylor Stitcher, and Coach Hannah DeMore. Photo by Mercer Harris Six Washington-Wilkes athletes were members of the Briarwood Academy Lady Buccaneers softball team, which placed third in the GISA Class A state softball tournament recently.

"We worked hard, and we finished third in the state," Coach Hannah Batrous DeMore said of the Lady Bucs, who finished the season with a 17-7 overall record. "This is something (place in state tournament) Briarwood hasn't done in a while.

"To finish behind Citizens Christian Academy and Crisp Academy, whose pitchers have scholarships to go to college and play, is a testimony to the worth ethic and talent of our team," she added.

The Lady Bucs, who will graduate only two seniors from this year's team, have five players from Washington-Wilkes coming back next year. Junior Lizzie Keen, the daughter of John and Rhonda Keen, plays centerfield. Junior Taylor Echols, the daughter of Marty Echols of Rayle and Carolyn Harper of Tignall, handles first base. Juniors Taylor Stitcher, the daughter of Melanie Stitcher, and Sherrer Long, the daughter of Wilson Long, both play second base, and junior Anna Goolsby, the daughter of Barry and Cindy Goolsby, plays both right field and left field. Sophomore Emily Henderson, the daughter of Bernie and Mimi Henderson, plays right field for the Lady Bucs.

"I expect all of them to see even more playing time next year," Coach DeMore said.

This year's Lady Bucs, who started the year by winning the Gatewood School Pre-Season Tournament, finished in second place in Region 1A with a 6-3 record in region play. In the first round of Class A playoffs, the Lady Bucs defeated Oak Mountain Academy of Carrollton, the No. 3 seed from the South, 14-1 and 17-8 in the final eight to advance to the final four of the playoffs for the first time in a number of years.

In the Class A tournament held at the Cordele-Crisp County Recreation Department in Cordele, the Lady Bucs fell to Crisp Academy 8-0 in the first round of play, defeated Terrell Academy 9-7 and then were eliminated from the tournament by Crisp Academy 13-5 in the third round.

"We weren't ready for them," DeMore said of the losses to Crisp. "They got in our heads early, and we let them beat us into the ground."

Crisp finished second in Class A behind Citizens Christians Academy. The Lady Bucs split games with state champion Citizens Christian during the regular season.

"I'm very proud of these girls," DeMore concluded. "They worked hard all year and advanced further than Briarwood has advanced in the tournament in quite a while. I'm looking forward to a great year next year."