COSBY — When Mike Bryant coached the Cosby softball team, assistant J.R Jenkins would often remind their players of hitting advice from Braves legend Chipper Jones.
“Not to hit the ball over the fence,” Bryant recited, “but to hit the ball through the fence.”
In two straight at-bats against Cloudland this season, Ella Hicks and Shylee Weeks did exactly that, sending highlighter-yellow missiles through a breakaway fence in a tournament at Gatlinburg-Pittman.
The moment summarized the firepower within the Cosby lineup, as Weeks — a senior — and Hicks — a sophomore — delivered for the Lady Eagles.
Fittingly, they made up half of Cosby softball’s All-Lakeway selections, which were announced recently by The Citizen Tribune.
The other selections for the Cosby softball program were senior pitcher Reese Michaels and sophomore third baseman Chloe Hance.
Starting with Michaels, Bryant dug into the Lady Eagles’ picks, highlighting what he saw from each of them in his final season leading the Cosby softball program.
“Reese won our district MVP the last two years, unanimous and well-deserved,” he said. “She brought so much to the table. In my opinion, she should have made All-State and the things that go along with it.
“Absolutely, she should have been more recognized than she was, and she was already highly decorated.”
Michaels ended her Cosby career with more than 470 strikeouts and a batting average over .600 her senior season — a combo made even more harsh for opponents when considering Michaels’ steely approach.
“Phenomenal numbers,” said Bryant. “Great young lady, and just someone who will do what you ask all the time. I was blessed to get to coach her.”
Hance will be one that new Cosby coach Kaylan Cole will look to next season, as she has anchored the Lady Eagles’ defense at third base for the past couple of years.
“She really came into her own late in the year in 2023 as we started to make our push,” said Bryant. “Had a really good postseason that year, played super well at third, and I think there was even one where she threw a girl out from her knees on the first and last plays of the game.”
“Very coachable, good kid,” he added. “Kaylan will get everything she’s got all the time. Chloe is like a sponge. She’ll soak it up, listen, and get whatever Kaylan can pour into her.”
He offered similar thoughts on Hicks, who will be a rising junior for the Lady Eagles.
Hicks filled the void left by departed center fielder Kaymen Moss last season, and she fit in nicely to the cleanup spot when Weeks was working her way back from a preseason injury.
“Ella is a phenomenal softball player,” said Bryant. “She hits the ball hard no matter what, and even as a freshman, she saw the ball really well. Just hammered it.”
“She can play anywhere she needs to and has great command of the outfield and her position,” he added of Hicks, who served as a captain last year despite her age. “She can be as good as she wants to be.”
The final Lady Eagle to receive All-Lakeway honors was Shylee Weeks, a two-time All-State player who fought through a preseason injury to play her final year in royal blue.
“Phenomenal athlete and a cannon for an arm,” said Bryant of Weeks. “The injury did affect her hitting because she couldn’t fully extend. But she was not going to miss out on her whole season.
“Talked the doctor into releasing her, and the doctor told her if she hurt it again, it would be bad. A lot of times, you’ll see kids who will hold back to keep from hurting. But I never saw that with Shylee.“
“Just tough to do it and say she wanted to play, and she knew she had to knock a little rust off,” he added. “But she battled through it, didn’t really let it affect her. And she wound up hitting over .500 for the season. For her to battle to take part in her senior year, it speaks a lot about her.”
As far as the group as a whole, Bryant’s summarizing statement offered a glimpse into more than his analysis as a former coach.
Instead, he referenced the memories he witnessed each and every day in the Cosby dugout
“I’m so tickled that they’re getting the recognition they deserve, and my hope is that they made a lot of memories,” he said. “People may not remember how many games you won, your batting average, or whatever.
“But I hope they remember the fun and joy they had playing this game. As long as they can do that, when they think back to their time in that uniform, I think it’s successful.”
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