By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald youth sports editor

Whether they wanted to believe or not, Central Texas pitchers discovered the power of the Bible this year.

That would be Clifton’s Marassia Bible, who thumped 16 home runs for the Lady Cubs, a total that is believed to be an area record. Bible’s prodigious power stroke and all-around divine play has earned her the Player of the Year honor of the Tribune-Herald’s 15th annual Super Centex Softball Team.

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Stepping into Clifton’s leadoff spot in the order for the first time, Bible started many a game with a bang. The senior catcher ended the year with a .570 batting average, 69 hits, 61 runs, 19 doubles, 47 RBIs and a 1.174 slugging percentage.

The crazy thing is, Central Texas didn’t really start becoming the Bible Belt until several games into the season.

“At the beginning of the year, I couldn’t hit if my life depended on it,” said Bible, the District 12-2A MVP. “I was kind of nervous, because I’d never been the leadoff batter. I’d always been fourth, the cleanup hitter, and I was kind of stunned and nervous. My coach was just like, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just see the ball.’ After a while, it started coming around. ... I just swung the bat and made connection, and they went (out).”

Clifton coach Rusty Minyard credited Bible’s phenomenal season to her maturity, a coveted characteristic that convinced the coach to put her in the top spot in the order.

“The simple fact of it is, hitting is contagious,” Minyard said. “She got everything going for us.”

“My team kind of depended on me to start it off,” Bible said. “It was a lot of pressure, but I enjoyed it. They would always say, ‘Come on, start us off! Start us off!’ I enjoyed it. Maybe not at the start of the year, but by the middle of the year.”

If opposing teams didn’t have enough trouble reading Bible at the plate, she proved she was just as valuable behind it. A natural athlete who was a second-team Super Centex star in volleyball, Bible chased down pop-ups with gusto.

“She’s one of the more athletic girls I’ve seen at catcher,” Minyard said. “She could make plays that were just unbelievable, whether they were on bunts or fly balls or pop flies. She made some diving catches that normal catchers don’t make.”

For that reason and others, Minyard wishes he had Bible another year.

“She’s irreplaceable,” the coach said. “Every team has its own identity, and this year, led by Marassia, we were a team that hit a lot of longballs.”

Coach of the Year: Sherry Rogers, Midway

Midway’s Sherry Rogers had one of those teams that can wear a coach out.

Only, in a good way.

Rogers’ Pantherettes possessed a singular focus from the moment they stepped on the diamond the first day of practice. Their mission? Get to state, win state.

If that meant hitting a dump truck full of batting-practice balls, so be it.

“It was never a burden for them. In their eyes, they couldn’t stay too long,” Rogers said. “They were always like, ‘Can we hit some more? Can you open up the cage?’ It was a great problem to have.”

Rogers’ leadership over this group of driven diamond dynamos has earned her the Trib’s Coach of the Year honor for a record fourth time, following previous wins in 1995, ’98 and 2002.

To hear the ever-humble Rogers tell it, she didn’t do much of anything.

“You didn’t have to give this bunch any inspirational speeches,” Rogers said. “They were always like, ‘Coach, we got this!’ and I was more like, ‘Oh Lord, how are we going to get this done?’ But their actions spoke louder than my words.”

In the postseason, Midway became the picture of the never-say-die, can-do spirit. After a 20-0 rout over Dallas North in the area round, the Pantherettes won three straight best-of-three playoff series despite stumbling in the opener of each series.

“It became our mantra,” Rogers said. “Lose the first, win the next two.”

Even though the Pantherettes didn’t complete their ultimate mission of winning a state championship — Midway fell to Aledo, 6-0, in the state semis behind a powerful pitching performance from Baylor signee Whitney Canion — Rogers expects that loss to stoke the inner fire of her 11 returnees.

“They’re not satisfied,” she said. “They didn’t just want to get to state, they wanted to win state. I fully expect them to come out on the first day of practice next year with that same mind-set.”

Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Kelm, Lorena

Most freshmen need a little time to adjust to the speed of varsity softball.

Not Lorena’s Taylor Kelm. She said her summers spent playing select ball prepared her well.

“I guess the speed of the varsity game is pretty much like select softball,” said Kelm, who won 12 games in the pitching circle and drove in 21 runs at the plate. “It was tough at first, but it got easier.”

Kelm benefited from a battery mate who knew how to get her charged. It was her sister, Taryn.

“She’s the catcher and I can really trust her,” Taylor said. “We get along really well.”

So, there’s never any sisterly spats?

“Not on the field, but maybe at home we do (fight) sometimes,” Kelm said, laughing.

bcherry@wacotrib.com

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2008 Super Centex Softball Team

Player of the Year: Marassia Bible, C/DH, Clifton /  Video interview

Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Kelm, P, Lorena /  Video interview

Coach of the Year: Sherry Rogers, Midway /  Video interview

Catchers: Grace Getman, Bosqueville; Kaylan Pruitt, Bremond; Heather Johnson, Gatesville; Natalie Edens, Hubbard; Megan Nieuwenhuis, Meridian; Nataly Gutierrez, Reicher; Breanna Pavlas, West; Rachel Adams, Valley Mills; Lauren Smith, Whitney

Infielders: Ashley Rekieta, Kari Groholski and Rachel Screws, Bremond; Michelle Morris, Clifton; Amber Merenda, China Spring; Callye Jones and Rachel Dieterich, Crawford; Tory Matthys, Evant; Kylie Nichols, Gatesville; Abby Weatherby, Hubbard; Taryn Kelm, Lorena; Alyssa Lewis, Midway; Brittany Heaton, Riesel; Emilie Skala, Rosebud-Lott; Lindsey Coffey, Salado; Ellen Deeley and Kelby Mann, Valley Mills

Outfielders/Designated Players: Rebecca Herzog, Clifton; Katy Dixon, Crawford; Megan Chartier, Gatesville; Makenzie Robertson, Midway; Kristyn Kolacek and Hillary Dulock, West; Hillary McDonald, Whitney

Pitchers: Ashley Barnes, Bosqueville; Kili Smith, Evant; Yolanda Armstrong, Hubbard; Nicholyn Carter-Maddux, Rogers; Sami Berg, Shoemaker; Robin Wright, Whitney