A new season dawns
By KYLE PARMLEY
Another season of high school softball is upon us!
To those of us that have come to love the game over the years, that is sweet music to the ears.
I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in covering softball since 2016, and with each season, I’ve tried to do something a little more and a little better than the year before to provide a positive experience and a platform that the players, coaches and programs have earned.
The Twitter “green screen.” The bomb squad. The 4 Corners Softball Podcast. So on, and so forth. (Don’t worry, those things are back and better than ever, hopefully).
This year, I’m bringing some of my contributions to this page, AlabamaHSSports.com.
You may be familiar with the Alabama 6A Football and Alabama 7A Football accounts on Twitter, as well as the accompanying websites. This is an extension of that.
As the website launches and enters into a new venture beyond football, this page will focus primarily on Alabama high school Class 7A softball. Personally, I’ll still have my hand on all classes and all corners of the state. But this page specifically will lean into the 7A world this spring.
Yes, I live in the Birmingham area and am the sports editor at Starnes Media, a wonderful media company here in town. So, naturally, I interact with teams in central Alabama more than everyone else. But if you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know that I’ve been no stranger to the other pockets of Alabama.
As far as what we’ll see in Class 7A this season? Hewitt-Trussville has won three of the last four state titles after defeating Fairhope in the championship series last May.
Areas 5 and 6 in central Alabama have been incredible the last several years. Thompson won it all in 2022, while Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Spain Park have long been contenders. Even the likes of Tuscaloosa County, Chelsea and Oak Mountain are no pushover.
Down south, Fairhope is always really strong. Daphne is a team on the rise, and don’t be surprised to see Mary G. Montgomery make some noise this year. Baker is always good, and we’ll see what Alma Bryant, Davidson and Foley can do as well.
In Area 3, Enterprise is a team that could easily work its way into the top 10 as the season gets going. The same goes for Prattville and Dothan. Percy Julian and J.A.G. also comprise that five-team area.
Area 4 has belonged to Central-Phenix City in recent years. Central made another run to the state tournament last spring and returns the majority of its production this year. Auburn is often quietly very competitive, while Smiths Station and Opelika will look to make an impact this year as well.
Up north, Sparkman comes off an inspiring state tournament run last spring. Austin seems primed for a good season, then the likes of Huntsville and Bob Jones are no strangers to postseason play. Albertville, Grissom, Florence and James Clemens are also in the mix up there.
Those are a lot of really, really good programs. Whoever wins it all will have certainly earned it.
If you visit the website, you’ll notice a few things:
- Top 10: We have released a preseason top 10 ranking for Class 7A. The great thing about it is that no games have been played and there are no guidelines surrounding it, so a couple of big wins could easily vault a team from unranked to highly rated.
- Players to Watch: This list will evolve throughout the year, but is currently populated by Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state players from 2023.
- Player of the Week: We will have a Player of the Week throughout the season, so be on the lookout for that.
Go ahead and hop on Twitter (or X, whatever we’re calling it now) and follow @ALHSSports1 and @KyleParmley.
The DMs are open for insight and suggestions. But please remember, our opinions don’t make a difference who wins the games. That’s the beauty of it. The players do it all, and that’s what this platform is about showcasing.
Thanks for being a part of the family this season! We can’t wait to watch the season unfold.
