Southside Softball Preps For State Tournament

The state championship softball titles will be handed out this weekend and six local teams are in the hunt. Perhaps the team with possibly the best chance to win is the one who has sat atop the rankings for a large part of the season- the Southside Panthers.

TV24 Sports dropped by Panther practice on Tuesday as they put final touches on their preparations for the 6A tournament. The Panthers are 38-5 on the season and won the regional round in three consecutive games. Head coach Angle Sanders says this team has been focused from day one of practice.

For the last five weeks, Southside has held the No. 1 spot in the Class 6A poll. In addition to that, the lady Panthers are ranked No. 24 in the nation. They spoke about how they are handling expectations that come with being the hunted.

The team is paced by four seniors: Claire Graves, Paiden Kircus, Brittany Williams and Savannah Elkins (all are set to play collegiate softball) and the seniors know they are a large part of the success, but are quick to mention that the success is built on the team pulling together.

Southside will face Daphne in the first round of the state tournament on Thursday. Other match ups featuring local teams include:

1A - Isabella vs. Ragland

1A - Brantley vs. Spring Garden

2A - Goshen vs. Gaston

5A - Clay-Central vs. Springville

6A - Southside vs. Daphne

6A - Wetumpka vs. Oxford

*Montgomery (May 14-16)