Lady Warhawks want another trip to finals

The Mount Vernon-Enola Warhawks softball team will be looking to carry last year’s momentum into this year’s season. The Warhawks made it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A State Tournament before falling 3-0 to Mount Ida. Head coach Adam Carlton said the Warhawks intend to build on what they did last season. “We hope to be able to repeat conference champs,” he said. The Warhawks had the best record in their conference. “We want to build on our trip to the final eight from last year,” Carlton said. He also pointed out that the team is in a tough conference and region. Carlton said senior Kaylea Jobe, sophomore Hanna Brock, junior Alaina Ellis and junior Taylor Keathley are the team’s best hitters, with Brock and Jobe also being the best power hitters. Newcomer Kassidy McJunkins, junior Hailey Roush and senior Kyndal Hardy have the best speed, Carlton said. He also said Hardy and Mackenzie Tucker are the best pitchers. Carlton said the games against Wonderview, Midland and Guy will be the ones to watch this season. The Warhawks had a 14-7 record last season and won the 1A-5 North Conference with a 6-2 conference record, beating secondplace Wonderview by two games. They also managed to break even on the road, resulting in a 2-2 road record. The Warhawks opened up the state tournament against Viola, whom they beat 5-2. Next up, they dominated Shirley with a 10-1 win. It was in the quarterfinals that the Warhawks’ season would come to an end, with them losing 3-0 to Mount Ida. Carlton has been coaching at Mount Vernon-Enola for three years and has 13 total years of coaching experience. The Warhawks were not lacking in offense last season, routinely putting up double-digit scores, including a 16-1 win over Sacred Heart and a 19-3 win over Quitman.