sports
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Thursday, June 2, 2016 • 27
Photo special to the Journal
Mountain Brook U11 Boys’ Lacrosse Team Goes Undefeated
Members of the Mountain Brook U11 boys’ lacrosse team are, front, from left: Evans Oliver, Wil Lucas, Cole Hofbauer, Hudson Young, Destin Hirsberg, Clyde Beavers, Coleman Petrey and Reid Ramsbacher. Middle: Connor Hofbauer, Gus Bailey, Glen Hale, Jackson Young, Tate Hoffman, William Carnes, Fields Mendelsohn, Richard Kinsaul, James Hard, Tyler Waddington, Sam Carroll and Stewart Griswold. Back: Assistant coach Richard Kinsaul and coach Farrell Mendelsohn. The team finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record.
all-OTM baseball,
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teams. On the mound, the senior pitcher posted an 8-2 record with 91 strikeouts and only 15 walks. Potter posted a microscopic ERA of .889. He was also outstanding with his bat, hitting at an average of .295 with 23 RBIs and four home runs. As is the case with most great athletes, Potter doesn’t mind when the burden of a game falls on his shoulders. “At a school with a tradition like Vestavia’s, pressure is a privilege,” he said. Potter’s ability to perform under pressure made an impression. He was chosen in an exclusive poll of Over the Mountain baseball coaches as the 2016 Over the Mountain Baseball Player of the Year. The coaches also chose the All-Over the Mountain baseball team. “No matter how tough the situation, Sonny was always our bulldog on the mound,” Rebel coach Jamie Harris said. “He had so much determination and nothing ever rattled him.” Potter credited his coaches and teammates for his success. “We spent 90 percent of our time in practice working on pitching and defense,” he said. “It was easy to pitch with confidence when you have great guys surrounding you.” Although his high school career has ended, Potter’s life in baseball will continue. He’ll play for the University of Alabama next season. “High school was great, but it’s time to move on,” he said. “I’ll have great memories of my years at Vestavia.” The coaches also chose Oak Mountain coach Derek Irons as the 2016 Over the Mountain Baseball Coach of the Year. In his first season, Irons lead an unheralded Eagle team to a 33-14 worksheet and fell one game short of reaching the state 7A finals in Montgomery. Irons came to Oak Mountain from Charles Henderson High School near Troy. “It’s an honor to be named Coach of the Year, but it’s really a tribute to our players,” Irons said. “They bought
Journal photo by Marvin Gentry
From page 28
Coach Derek Irons of Oak Mountain, left, has been named the 2016 Over the Mountain Baseball Coach of the Year, and Sonny Potter of Vestavia Hills is the 2016 Over the Mountain Baseball Player of the Year.
into what we were teaching from the very beginning and worked hard all year.” Potter was joined on the AllOver the Mountain team by Rebel teammates Christian Cusimano, Parker Hershey, Nathan Hospes and Caden Lemons. Other players qualifying for the team were Luis Fuentes and Sam Strickland, Briarwood; Matt Cerfolio, John
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Carroll Catholic; Carson Griffis, Josh Miller and John Marc Mullins, Homewood; Noah Barron, Brock Guttery, Christopher Vacarella and Tyler Williamson, Hoover; Luke Hartman and Clay Stearns, Mountain Brook; Joseph Hartsfield, Gene Hurst, John McDonald, and Mason Williamson, Oak Mountain; Will Battersby and Bryan Sanderson, Spain Park. ❖
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