The Western Slope League has announced its all-conference teams for the 2016 softball season, and two Montezuma-Cortez players were nominated.
After the Lady Panthers’ 6-13 season, senior Gabby Begay and sophomore Morgan Short were named honorable mentions for the Western Slope League’s all-conference team.
Begay played sparingly last season as a junior, but in her senior year, she stepped up and started at first base.
“Gabby learned a lot the last couple of years. She sat the bench for a while, but she replaced our first baseman from last year and got aggressive,” said M-CHS head coach Angelo Topaha. “She brought a lot to the table and really stepped into that role and picked up from where we left off last year. She’s just a good kid to coach, and I’ve enjoyed coaching her for the last four years.”
With stats from 16 games, Begay hit .458 and drove in a team-high 20 RBIs. And while her offensive and defensive contributions were significant, Tophaha praised Begay for her leadership as one of the team’s three seniors.
“She brought a good attitude to the team,” he said. “She was a good inspiration for the younger girls to keep fighting, no matter what happens.”
Joining Begay as an honorable mention was Morgan Short.
Short also saw her playing time increase from last season, and with stats from 17 games, she led the Lady Panthers in batting average, hitting .525, and smacked 4 home runs, another team high.
“Offensively, she’d mix it up,” said Topaha. “She’d bunt, she’d hit, and once we got her on the bases, she scored 28 runs for us this year.” Which, as Topaha pointed out, was nearly half of her at bats.
Short’s speed is what made her so dangerous. She legged out bunts for infield hits, swiped a team-high 24 bases – which was second-most in the league – and scored 28 runs on the year.
“She knew there were a lot of shoes to fill. She brought an intensity and came with aggression on the defensive and offensive side,” said Topaha. “And in the offseason, she knew what needed to be done and she did it. She’s improving, she’s very coachable, and I’m very proud of her for the accomplishments she made this past year.”
