By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

LAGRANGE – It’s time to chase a title.

The Troup County 10-and-under all-star softball team will begin play in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state tournament on Tuesday in Bainbridge.

The players on the team were selected at the conclusion of the Troup County Parks and Recreation Commission’s spring season.

Scott Thompson is the head coach, and more than half of the players were members of his Lions’ team that went unbeaten and won the league title.

“Only one of the girls on this team has ever played in an all-star tournament,” Thompson said. “So this is new for most of them. But it’s been fun.”

Thompson, along with fellow coaches Scott White and Jason Bunn, has been working hard with the all-star players for the past month or so.

While Thompson wouldn’t mind having a little more time to prepare, he said the players are ready to go.

The team held its final practice on Sunday afternoon at the Harris Baseball Complex.

“If we had another week or two weeks, it would benefit us,” he said. “But we feel like we’re ready to go, and we’ll compete.”

Thompson is a veteran of the youth-baseball coaching scene, but this is his first time coaching an all-star softball team, so he’s not sure what to expect at state.

“I haven’t done this before. It’s new,” Thompson said. “So we don’t know the level of competition. We hope it’s good competition. We expect to play good teams, and we want to play good teams, and we believe we can compete.”

Thompson has been a busy man this summer.

He is also the head coach for the Dixie Youth Baseball 13-14-year-old all-star team that will be in Eatonton this weekend for the state tournament.

Thompson’s daughter Zoe is an all-star in softball, and his son Zack is on the 13-14-year-old baseball all-star team.

Oftentimes, the softball and baseball teams will hold back-to-back practices, which makes for a long day, but Thompson isn’t complaining.

“This is where we want to be,” he said. “We enjoy being out here. It’s a lot of fun.”

TEAM MEMBERS: Zoe Thompson, Madison Kemp, Madison Cavender, Emma Rhoney, Emily White, Emily Reese, Karaline Bunn, Hope Delaney, Ale’yah Dunn, Harlee Overton and Lynleigh Bohn. Scott Thompson is the head coach, and the assistant coaches are Scott White and Jason Bunn.