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The Harris County softball team had reached the state semifinals in each of the past two seasons, but the Tigers lost both times to the Northside Patriots, their Columbus-area rival, who went on to win those two straight championships.

Saturday, with former Northside head coach Brandon Jenkins now guiding Harris County, the Tigers completed their climb to the top. They beat Eastside-Covington 8-0 in the final round of the Georgia High School Association Class AAAA state tournament at South Commons in Columbus.

It is the HCHS softball program’s second state title. The Tigers won the Class AAA championship in 2000.

Harris County junior Riley Huckaby pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits and no walks with three strikeouts. The starting lineup’s only two seniors, shortstop Lani Dansby and third baseman Linsley Brown, sparked the offense.

Dansby, who will play in college for Georgia Southwestern, hit a lead-off home run and followed with another homer in the second inning. She finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Brown, who will play in college for North Georgia, went 3-for-3 with a double and RBI.

“It was just a really good day,” Huckaby told the Ledger-Enquirer. “It’s really exciting. I’m really glad that we finally won. I think everything clicked together, and we just all really played as a team.”

Huckaby noted the support she received from her teammates helped her relax and focus on her pitching.

“I just felt like, with the runs we were able to produce, we were in a good spot, as long as I did my job on the mound,” she said. “I’m really proud of our defense. I didn’t strike out too many batters, but every time the ball was in play, I just knew that I was going to get the help I needed.”

Reflecting on what enabled these Tigers to break through this year after getting so close to the title the previous two seasons, Huckaby said, “I think we all just kind of jelled together more as a team, honestly, and we just trusted the whole process, and we all bought into everything that we were taught.”

Jenkins taught the Tigers “a bunch of new drills” and “noticed who needed to be where,” Huckaby said. But the ability to finally prevail over Northside in the state tournament perhaps was boosted by losing to the Patriots in the regular season.

After edging the Patriots 7-6 at home Aug. 15, the Tigers lost 5-1 at Northside on Sept. 19.

However, instead of chewing out the players, Jenkins compassionately told them they didn’t play well but he still loves them and wouldn’t want to coach anybody else.

“It was a pretty big turning point,” Huckaby said. “We all kind of thought we were going to get yelled at. But when he said that, we were all like it’s just nice to know that he wasn’t mad at us and he didn’t regret his decision. … That kind of brought us closer together.”

The Tigers (34-3) went undefeated through this double-elimination tournament featuring eight Class AAAA teams. They beat Ola 3-2 Wednesday, Eastside 7-4 Thursday and Northside 9-0 Friday.

Jenkins told the Ledger-Enquirer he appreciates his assistant coaches, who also were new to the program, and the players for “buying into everything we were teaching them. For everything to come full circle, it’s pretty awesome.”

Before the tournament, Jenkins reminded the players they had put in the hard work, starting with offseason workouts in January, to prepare and deserve this chance for a state championship.

Then he told them, “Everybody at this level in the Elite Eight is talented and good enough to win. So it comes down to who wants it more.”

Jenkins acknowledged his sometimes-loud and aggressive coaching style would have been a “huge adjustment” for the players. That’s why he toned down his approach early in the season — especially after the loss to Northside.

“You have to earn their trust as a coach,” he said. “Once you get that trust, they’ll do anything for you. … These girls, they’ll run through a wall for you now.”

Harris County athletics director Mindy Johnson described the impact Jenkins has made on the HCHS softball program since he left Northside after three state titles in 11 seasons with the Patriots.

“His coaching experience is second to none,” Johnson told the Ledger-Enquirer in a text message. “He has the ability to be very strategic in all of his coaching decisions. He has assembled a top-notch coaching staff and has the ability to trust their coaching decisions and build them up.”

Johnson also is impressed with the player development under Jenkins’ tutelage.

“Not only does he develop the player but the individual student-athlete and teaches them through softball the game of life,” she said. “Coach Jenkins also faces issues head on. He has established a strong and steady atmosphere and has built the beginnings of a team culture that is sure to continue year to year. He has led us extremely well to a state championship, and I could not be more proud.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2024, 5:25 PM.

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Ledger-Enquirer staff writer Mark Rice covers education and other issues related to youth. He also writes feature stories about any compelling topic. He has been reporting in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley for more than a quarter-century. He welcomes your local news tips and questions.