In 2014, Full Count Softball posted over 1,200 articles and we continue our look back at what we feel were the Top 10 stories of the year, ones that had emotional impact, great human interest and drama or significance to the sport.

Today’s Articles: Monte Sherrill: 700 wins & counting (with follow-ups)

Ranking: #5

First Published: April 2, 2004, follow-up on June 13 (“Sherrill’s comments on successful season”) and July 7, 2004 (“From cancer to champion”).

What It’s About: Talk about a dream year for a coach and his two softball playing daughters! Head Coach Monte Sherrill saw his Alexander Central High team from Taylorsville, N.C. go 35-0 and win its 66^th straight game and capture the fourth title in the last six years. The Cougars were rewarded with the No. 1 national ranking by USA Today and finished No. 3 in the Full Count Softball final FAB 50. On an individual basis, senior daughter Bailey Sherrill was the Tournament MVP and junior daughter Vada Sherrill was honored as the Gatorade State Player of the Year. Making it all even more special was Bailey beat cancer as a child (which you can read about below)…

Update: Last month, Coach Sherill and his coaches were honored at the NFCA Convention in Las Vegas as the National High School Coaching Staff of the Year and he looks good for another strong year in 2015 with Vada coming back to spearhead the offense. Bailey graduated with a 2.97 GPA and 1910 SAT and is now attending Pfeiffer University, a small DII school in North Carolina, where her father attended. She’s on an academic and athletic scholarship and according to her proud father “she enjoys it. Vada is uncommitted and is getting offers and serious interest from SEC and ACC level schools.

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Monte Sherrill: 700 wins & counting

Last Thursday (March 27, 2014), Monte Sherrill, the Head Coach of Alexander Central High in Taylorsville, N.C., won his 700^th game in his career to give him a remarkable overall record of 700-59.

Still going strong as his team is ranked No. 4 in our latest FAB 50 rankings and No. 1 in the MaxPrep ratings, he took some time to reflect on his “accidental” softball career as well as on the people and philosophies that have led to his great success…

***

I would have never imagined that I could reach this milestone number of wins when I first started coaching.  My long stint with softball began when Coach Tony Elder asked me in the fall of 1988 if I would consider moving over from the Varsity Baseball Assistant to the softball squad. I really thought it would be a one or two year fill-in period before moving back to baseball, but what happened was quite the opposite.

Instead of moving back to baseball, we turned our softball team into a female version of baseball.

Tallying the 700th win, many people have asked the reason for the long-term success. There are a lot of factors that come into play with that question, but it all started with the way I was raised. I was the oldest of four boys and we were living in meager times with no frills.  My Dad worked hard for his paycheck and was very “old school” in much of his thought.

Pushing forward and going above the minimum expectation was the only way to shine in the workplace. He always reminded us that we would reap what we sowed, living by the mantra “if you make your bed, you sleep in it”.

As I began to play ball, I quickly learned that I could not compete with the other kids from different upbringings that dealt with money and were entitled to things that I never would be.

Once we were all on the field together these things were not important.  We had equal opportunities to make our mark but sheer determination shone brighter and flashier than any new equipment could ever be.

My objective was to out-work, out-practice and out-perform them all. The intensity and drive that I brought on the ball field not only equalized the off-the-field issues, but it helped me to focus on success.  I wanted to shine like the player I had patterned my game after, Pete Rose.

With the mindset of laying it all out on that field, the words of Vince Lombardi come to mind: “I am not sure that winning is so important as not losing.”

At times, my passion has been misconstrued as too intense, but that’s the way we were taught to play back in the 1970-‘80’s era. Those were the days when everyone did not get a trophy for being on the team or even finishing second. Only the winners were rewarded.

I specifically remember one instance when my Little League coach, Bobby Deal, gave our team an incentive.  He told us that he would take us to Hardees for a hamburger if we were undefeated at the end of the year. Boy, that ‘s what we went after, giving it all we had.

In fact, we ended up winning the Little League State Championship because we thought he might take us out for another victory meal. It sure is different now. I have built our program on the old fashioned philosophy of earning your spot and every player being a part of something that is bigger than themselves. We were a “throwback” team in 1989 and still are in 2014.

My background and work ethic has helped me reach this milestone, but it’s mostly because of the player who I have had over the years that have simply been the very best.  This is seen by not only their skills, but their ability to handle the constructive criticism that they get from me every day.

I have not been easy to play for, but compared to what Traci Carrigan Fox (our only senior on the ‘89 team) was part of as well as those players that experienced our push to succeed early on in my career… well, let’s just say that I am a teddy bear now!

On this note, I want to openly “Thank” all of my former/current players for giving our program the very best every day to put us at the top each year. The players in our program know that they only play if they are the best player for our team and that no egos are allowed at practice.

They know that practice is where true champions are made, that no politics come into play on our team and that we are only as good as today’s performance.

I also know our kids will always respect the American Flag and the veterans and they will always know where they stand in our program.

If I had to hold my hat on only one thing that has affected my program the most it would be the influence of the Marine Corps. Our teams might be made up of high school females, but these girls would do well in the U.S. Marines in any situation or job. The espirit de corps, the chain of command, wearing the uniform with pride, the code of conduct, and their overall ability to perform under pressure has been the staple of every team.

Our practices of drilling/skills/situations has always been so much more intense in practice than it is in games, including the State Championships.

A theme you hear in the Marines is, “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime.” We have adopted that philosophy in our practice sessions.

Every day for three hours, six days a week, our kids are put through enormous stress and attention to detail of the fundamentals of the game. Our kids have at least 225 quality swings every day, and field close to 100 hit balls.

If you really think about it, we have a layering effect going on. Each day we want to triple the practice intensity of other teams, triple the swings and catches, and practice longer than any team. The culmination of these standards is what allows us to put distance between our program and all other teams.

We are built as a no-nonsense group of banded sisters that can flat out play. We play fast physically and mentally and we play angry with resolve knowing we deserve to win.

I must take my hat off to the unbelievable group of assistant coaches that have been with me, from the first being one of my best friends, Danny Dyson, to the present day group who I feel are the best around.

The great part of our staff, throughout the years, has been a shared responsibility to help the kids try to get 1 percent better every day. At Alexander Central, there are never any “off” days and our coaches put their heart and soul into the players.

I sincerely appreciate all the people who have helped me reach 700.  I have learned far more from these assistants than they have learned from me.  I am a stronger and better coach because of the solid foundation of coaching staff that is holding me up.

I want to especially recognize Darrell Adkins in our current program who is retiring from softball.  Our high school has truly missed out on his exceptional abilities as a Head Coach in its history.  This man has everything it takes to take any program to the top!  He has it all as a coach.

My family has been more than supportive of my passion to coach. Many times, the wives of coaches are the unsung heroes of the team. Thanks to Becky for being my assistant coach.

As my family grew, my job changed and I’ve tried to accommodate.  I have had many cold dinners, nights of washing uniforms instead of being home, working on our field at all hours, and mowing the grass at home with a flashlight at midnight.

I am like my Dad in that I want to leave no stone unturned when it comes to my program. I strive for perfection in every aspect.

Ultimately, though, I hope my players have seen that I love the Lord through this game of softball. I am not close to being a perfect person or coach, even not close to the good representative of a good Christian, but I have been saved by the grace of God.

The 700 wins is a lot and I am humbled in that large numeral, but my No. 1  victory in Christ outweighs that total, or any total, by 100 fold.  God, Country, Corps (AC Softball in this case) remains intact in our program!

Monte Sherrill
Alexander Central HS
Assistant Athletic Director
Head Softball Coach

www.alexandercentralfastpitch.com

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ORIGINAL STORY:

Sherrill’s comments on successful season

A week ago today, Alexander Central from Taylorsville, N.C. won its first of a two game series in the state 4A playoffs.  Last Saturday, the Cougars would take the second game — and the championship — as well, in an 18-7 slugfest with Cape Fear, to conclude this season with a 35-0 record and a likely National Championship crowning by USA Today.

After the win, we reached out to Head Coach Monte Sherrill for a quote and in his own inimitable way he gave not just a recap of the game, but of the season and what softball and the championship means to the community and how it ties into his family’s faith…

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From Saturday, June 7, 2014:

Our Alexander Central girls are bringing home another state championship to our small county in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains today.

It’s a special time around AC and we feel like UConn basketball in that we truly are in RARE AIR.

Our country county prides itself in many ways on being like the show The Waltons. We love each other unconditionally, raise our children up to respect the American flag and their elders and take care of each other.

On the field, we instill the discipline of a platoon of softball Marines . We hustle, we fight, we enjoy and soak up the GRIND, and we play FAST. We do not play traditional fastpitch— it’s more like American League baseball with girls built to play hard and angry.

I am immensely proud of our team for playing poised every game while having a bullseye on our backs . We took everyone’s best shot this year and still stood as champions in North Carolina undefeated.

I love my team and my coaches.

Personally it was a daddy’s dream to have Vada named the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the year on Thursday and my eldest, Bailey, the state MVP on Saturday.

Some say it’s a Daddy’s Girl thing and you know what… it is.

But I am only fortunate to be their dad on this Earth . I gave them up to my Father in Heaven to praise His name. They turned out to be pretty good softball players but their first priority is the Lord.

As I have aged, I have learned that the real game is played with your personal relationship with God and all the extras are blessing from Him.

God bless America , God bless Alexander County and “We Are AC!”

— Monte Sherrill (Alexander Central Head Coach)

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ORIGINAL STORY:

From Cancer to Champion

Imagine this scenario if you’re a softball player: your high school team goes undefeated for the year, wins a state championship, its fourth in six years, and, not only that, is recognized as the No. 1 team in the nation—the National Champs!

Your dad, the head coach, is named National Coach of the Year and your younger sister, the Gatorade State Player of the Year. And in the exciting state championship playoffs you come up so clutch, you’re named the Tournament MVP!

Sound like something too hokey for even a Hollywood script?

Actually, this was the real-life senior season for infielder Bailey Sherrill of Alexander Central High in Taylorsville, N.C. which was ranked No. 1 at the end of the year by USA Today/NFCA. Bailey’s father, Monte Sherrill, earned MaxPreps.com’s National Coach of the Year and sister, Vada, was the Gatorade State Player of the Year.

We’ve done extensive coverage of the Cougars and their 35-0 season, but only recently learned of the outstanding writing talents of Bailey, who her father calls an “old soul who’s been in the background for a lot of years.”

That was due in part because of a scary situation that hit Bailey when she was only 3 years old—she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of blood cancer.

Fortunately, she overcame the cancer but her father says it set her back in her physical development.

“It wasn’t until the 10^th grade that her motor skills kicked in,” Coach Sherrill explains. “Doctors told us when she had cancer that her fine motor skills would take 10 years to kick in and that was about right, but that experience made her more determined and more of an over-achiever in academics and athletics.”

Perhaps “super-achiever” is more like it, for Bailey, who grew up in Hiddenite, N.C., a small rural town of about 600 people with one stoplight, just graduated as Salutatorian of her Alexander Central class of 383 with a 4.97 weighted GPA (3.97 unweighted).

She’s been accepted into Wake Forest, a little more than an hour away, and wants to study writing or journalism and combine her love of expression with a passion to travel and help others through volunteer work.

Athletically, she was more of a cheerleader from the bench as a junior, but blossomed this spring to hit .557 with 54 hits and 47 RBI and stroke one clutch hit after another in the championship run. Her success at the plate earned her Tournament MVP honors.

“It was a crazy year,” Bailey reflects. “I’ve been extremely blessed and I couldn’t have planned it any better.”

Demonstrating her writing talents, below is an essay she wrote as part of an application for a scholarship. It eloquently captures the impact softball has had on her life, but details something even more important to her and where her future lies…

***

From my very birth, softball was in the grand plan.

In fact, with my father winning the NC 4A State Championship three months after I was born he had placed a medal and an Alexander Central cap on my head ready to have me experience this feeling of pure joy.

My earliest memories are of traveling to the softball field and watching the older girls play, wishing with all my might that one day I would be able to make that diving catch or hit that home run to win the game.

And that drive, that will to become an authentic player, stayed with me throughout my childhood.

But at age 3, the lurking, lethal disease called A.L.L. cancer, a type of leukemia, infected my blood and it turned things upside down for my family. Many chemo-treatments and IV needles filled my everyday routine until the age of 4 and it was having both my parents and my dad’s softball team that kept me going.

Throughout the pain and sickness, I had teenagers, players on my Dad’s team, who played the game give up their free time to come and visit, even if it was just to play with Barbie dolls or write with chalk. Needless to say, I was mesmerized. These captivating girls made my urge to play a concrete thing, without one shadow of a doubt.

My teen years soon led to around-the-clock travel ball tournaments that were filled with endless buckets of Gatorade, sweat that poured from every pore, and, of course, the nice, bright sun to provide for many a farmer’s tan from wearing sleeves.

But even with the heat and the urge to just sit under a shade tree and relax, the same deep drive led me to play. I hustled on and off the field just like every single player under my Dad did and I went up to bat with the mentality of “Yes, Yes, Yes” for every pitch like the lessons that had been instilled in me.

And as the weekends came and went, time ticked away and I soon became a student at Alexander Central High School.

It is here that I would like to talk of my love of school and all elements of it. I enjoy every single day, coming and learning of Ferdinand and Isabella in history or receiving rules for pronouns in English and so much more. It’s at school that I find myself completely content and I love to soak up the tantalizing tales or formulas that come with each new lesson.

In all actuality, I believe that it was my work and dedication I poured on the softball field that allowed me to succeed in the classroom; it was really just a change of scenery for me.

Upon reaching the halls of high school, I knew that it was not only time to thoroughly enjoy lessons in the classrooms that dotted the halls, but it was also time for me to compete on the same field as my Dad at three o’clock.

And on that first day at school, when the bell of dismissal rang, and we hit the green sod field running, I knew that I belonged here among this group of girls clad in the same exact ensemble.

Every day, beginning on Valentine’s Day and ending in early June, I am there—on that field surrounded by the girls who have become my best friends.

Recently the looming question of college level softball came into play, which is really just a natural step up for all of our players. But while all of my best friends were signing contracts and having parties, I chose not to further my softball career into college.

I realized that I did indeed love the game with all of my heart, but it was volunteering and school that called for my attention. I love to volunteer at the local food pantry and help at the local Rotary Club, to help make other people’s jobs easier.

I want to be centered on my studies and be able to make a difference by sacrificing myself to make another’s day better.

I wanted to be able to volunteer at the soup kitchen and provide that smile of encouragement for someone’s rough day, or mow someone’s grass that can’t exit their home due to immobility or sickness.

I truly want to make an impact on the world and I feel that my time in sports has prepared me for this huge, seemingly insurmountable task.

I have found that I have a heart for others, and I believe that that is the true measure of an athlete, the ability to play one’s heart out to win the big game, which for me, is the bigger game of life.

— Bailey Sherrill, Hiddenite, N.C.