Published: August 06, 2008 09:39 am      

Bringing back the past

DHS hosts alumni softball game

It’ll be a busy week for the Duncan High School softball team. Starting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the Lady Demons will host a two-day, 13-team scrimmage with the likes of Comanche, Bray-Doyle, Waurika and Central High in attendance.

Then on Saturday, the Lady Demons will host an alumni game to help raise funds for a trip Sept. 5-6 to the Colorado Tournament of Champions in Boulder.

The alumni game will be between past players and current players, and the past team’s roster reads like a who’s who.

DHS head coach Robert Cowan has already received confirmation from April Ferrell, who played at the University of Central Oklahoma, Staci Rowland, who played at St. Gregory’s, Jade Howell, Wanisha Lee, Courtne St. Clair and DaVee Croy. Howell plays at Bacone, Lee was at Western and St. Clair is at Seminole State College.

Other players who plan to attend the event are Amanda Lard and Lindsey Evans, who was an All-State player for the Lady Demons.

“We’ll be hard-pressed to beat them,” Cowan said. “If we had 12-15 alumni, that would be ideal. Maybe this is something that catches on.”

The goal for this year’s alumni game is to help pay the way to the Colorado Tournament of Champions.

Duncan is one of three Oklahoma teams to be invited to this year’s tournament. The other two are Broken Arrow and Enid.

“Everybody at this tournament can play,” Cowan said. “Durant went last year and got run-ruled five times.”

After getting permission for the trip from Duncan Public Schools Superintendent Sherry Labyer, the plans were made for the mid-season trip.

“I think it’ll be cooler there at that time, and that will be a welcome change,” Cowan said.

Cowan will also be using the tournament as a way to prepare his team for postseason play.

“We have a lot of girls coming back, but we have two or three young girls that are going to have to play,” he said. “I think playing good competition will make them better.”

DHS returns several players, such as The Duncan Banner’s Player of the Year, Sara Harper, Newcomer of the Year Allison Edwards, veteran first baseman Caylin Lynch, center fielder Kinzie Kennedy and pitcher Judy Dines, who all made the All-Area team last season.