By John Harvey
JAMES CITY – Warhill High softball team’s season ended
nearly a month ago, but accolades are still pouring in for some of its players.
Bridget Henzel earned a spot on the National Fastpitch
Coaches Association All-South Region first team Tuesday. The team honors top
performers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina.
“It means a lot to me to be recognized out of such a
large group of talented players,” Henzel said. “I was very thankful and
pleasantly surprised. It adds a very nice honor to my senior year.”
The senior catcher was a catalyst with the bat and the
glove this season for the Lions. She hit .449 as a leadoff hitter, including 12
extra base hits, and drove in 14 runs. Defensively, Henzel was flawless. She
didn’t commit and error or passed ball and did not allow a stolen base.
“She’s one of those players you come across very rarely,”
coach Meredith Powell said. “She had the right mix of talent, worth ethic and
leadership. It’s been an amazing journey to watch and be a part of and I’m extremely
proud of her.”
Powell said Henzel always put the team first. As a
freshman, she “took it for the team” and pitched for a young team in
transition. She’s been behind the plate the last three years and has been a stabilizing
force on one of the most improved programs in the Bay Rivers District.
The Warhill coach said there have been many memorable
moments shared with Henzel over the years From Henzel’s laughter after
blatantly striking out on a change-up to Powell breaking her finger off a
foul-tip from her catcher.
“The most memorable moment was when she got drilled in
the shin at Jamestown and had to come out of the game,” Powell recalled. “She
couldn’t walk the next day, but she was still out there (at practice). She didn’t
miss the next game or any game after that. She still doesn’t have feeling in a
part of her shin, but she played battered, swollen and limping. She’s the
toughest girls I’ve coached by far.”
Henzel will continue her playing career next year at the
University of Virginia at Wise. But she will always have a soft spot in her
heart for Warhill softball.
“My most memorable experience at Warhill was the first
game of my sophomore season when we beat York,” she said. “That game was a
breakout win that changed how we looked at ourselves as legitimate contenders
in the Bay Rivers District.”
Contact Harvey via email at johnharveysports@gmail.com or by
Twitter @JohnHarveySport.
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