Jobe Highlights All-County Softball Team

Any time Kyla Jobe stepped to the plate for the Greeneville softball team this spring, fans knew something great could happen for the Lady Devils.

Jobe’s statistics speak for themselves. She was first on the team in nearly every offensive category, having a .597 batting average and 74 hits, including 25 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs. She led the team with 42 RBI and had an on-base percentage of .653, leading to her scoring 75 runs.

For those numbers, Jobe has been named The Sun’s softball player of the year.

“It’s an honor, especially with all the good athletes in Greene County,” Jobe said. “It’s a real honor to be named among them and I’m glad I get to play with them and against them. It really ups my game so I’m honored to be named.”

The junior leadoff hitter came through for the Lady Devils when they needed a big play, but Jobe said her goal was just to get on base.

“I mainly tried to aim for line drives and ground balls,” Jobe said. “Something that I can get on base for. My coaches, they talk about how home runs are usually accidents. I try to get into a rhythm and time the pitcher. Timing is probably the most important thing. Timing and knowing the situation.”

Jobe had expectations for herself before the season, but not double digit home runs.

“I definitely met them,” Jobe said about her expectations with a chuckle. “I wasn’t expecting that many home runs. That was a great surprise. I was looking a lot for power because I just struggled with that when I was younger. Getting power in my swing, making a statement and throwing the first punch in the first inning.”

Jobe, Greeneville’s shortstop, also sparkled in the field and was involved in turning 12 double plays.

“(Pitchers) Leah (Phillips), Brynlee (Jones), Jamie (Jackson), they all stepped up and played their part and I need to play my part and help back them up,” Jobe said. “I think I did that pretty well, along with my teammates helping me out to do well.”

Giving others credit is the quality of leaders, and that’s exactly what Jobe was this season. As a sophomore, she said she wasn’t relied on heavily to step into that role, but as a junior she welcomed it and flourished.

“Sophomore year, I was coming into that leadership position, especially with my seriousness for the sport and how much I had gotten better at it,” Jobe said. “I think the class above me actually helped me step up into that leadership role and were actually leaders alongside me. I think that made it easier to step up because they welcomed me. They were like, ‘We want you to step up with us and help us lead this team.’ They were very helpful in that.”

Even though the Lady Devils’ season ended with a 15-4 Region 1-3A semifinal loss to David Crockett, Jobe said the season was special.

“I think we came together,” she said. “A lot of people, they were thinking we’d have a really good year, and I was too. We had the talent, we had the drive and the force to do that. I think sometimes you just run into a team and they can’t miss. It was just one of those days.”

Jobe is determined to not repeat that next season. She is competing in several summer league tournaments, already playing one in Florida, as well as ones in Georgia, Colorado and California in the coming weeks.

“We’re going to have the same goal every year,” Jobe said. “Go to state and win it. I feel like we should do that every year. We have enough talent and drive to do that. With the disappointment (of this past year), it can drive us a little bit. It hurts that we lost, we lost our seniors, but we can use that as fuel and motivation to carry on to those games (next year). We’re not going to do this again. We’re going to go farther.”

Coach Of The Year

North Greene softball coach Danny Weems decided to step away from coaching after the 2024 season, but he made certain his last year was a great one, coaching his girls to a home state sectional game with the opportunity of making the state tournament.

Weems had a tough task ahead of him at the start of the season. With many new players who had never played high school softball, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But despite the lack of varsity experience, the Lady Huskies finished with a 14-11 record, 4-3 in the postseason. And in his final year, Weems has been named The Sun’s coach of the year.

“It’s a nice recognition and I certainly appreciate it,” Weems said. “There’s a lot of good coaches in our area but it’s really an indication of our players here at North Greene. We’ve had good players this year and they had a good season.

“It’s really a tribute to the girls and how much work they put in and how hard they worked at it.”

North Greene entered the postseason with a 10-8 record. After two wins in the district tournament, the Lady Huskies lost the district title game to Cloudland, but earned a place in the region tournament.

North Greene defeated Cosby in the Region 1-A semifinals and got revenge against Cloudland in the Region 1-A championship game, winning 3-1.

“I wasn’t sure if we’d get out of the district tournament, truthfully,” Weems said. “Just being able to advance to the region tourney was a big accomplishment for our team. All that is really satisfying to see our team grow throughout the season and be able to put together a good run in the postseason like we did.”

North Greene had a shot at booking a trip to Murfreesboro, but ended its season with a sectional loss to Wartburg Central.

What helped so much in the postseason and regular season was the amount of playmakers North Greene had. While some teams might have one or two playmakers carry the team, the Lady Huskies had a group of talented athletes step up this year.

“Softball is a team sport, of course, and it is collective effort,” Weems said. “It’s great to have a strong battery, so having a good pitcher and catcher is really important.”

Freshman pitcher Hannah Brooks excelled in the circle as well as at the plate, having the team’s best batting average and leading the team in hits and RBI.

“Hannah exceeded my expectations this year,” Weems said. “She did really well coming in as a freshman and had a phenomenal season. And that really helped us overall as a team, that she was able to be so successful.

“But the other girls too, the top of our lineup was pretty effective at batting, and even the bottom of our lineup they took on the roles and got pretty good at it, moving runners, bunting.”

Another underrated aspect of the game that the Lady Huskies shined in was their ability to steal bases. They recorded 51 steals and only got caught four times.

“That’s a tribute to our girls really working hard on improving that aspect of the game,” Weems said. “The whole team. Taking that extra base is huge in softball. When a lot of games are won by one or two runs, it’s important to take those extra bases and get yourselves in that position to score a run.”

“Just the growth of the team,” Weems said on what he’ll look back and remember most from his final season. “For me, that’s the big accomplishment this year, just seeing how the team can grow if they come together and work hard. We try to hold them accountable and work and get better every day.

“For me, that’s the take away. Early on in a season, you don’t know what to expect, but seeing the rewards of hard work and to see it pay off for the team is the takeaway. Hopefully, it is for the girls too.”

All-County Team Hayley Arnold West Greene, Jr.

The Lady Buffaloes best hitter, Arnold helped lead the team to an 8-15 season after they had only won one game the across past two seasons. She finished with a team-high 30 hits, seven doubles and five triples. She also had a batting average of .492 and an OBP of .523, both highest on the team as well. She led the team in RBI, 25, and runs, 22, as well as stealing 10 bases on the year.

Hannah Brooks North Greene, Fr.

Only a freshman, Brooks didn’t let her lack of experience stop her form become a vital part of North Greene’s deep playoff push. As the team’s No. 1 pitcher, she gave up just 90 hits and 50 runs (29 earned) in 100 innings. She walked 21 and struck out 139, earning an ERA of 2.03. At the plate, she was just as strong, recording a .467 batting average with 35 hits, four doubles and three home runs. She drove in 29 runs and scored 26 times.

Kortnei Bailey South Greene, So.

Bailey was the Lady Rebels best slugger in a team of sluggers. With a .447 batting average and .505 OBP, she led the team in hits, with 38, and home runs, with four. She was second-best in RBI and runs, with 26 and 33, respectively, and had 22 stolen bases.

Hailey Foshie Chuckey-Doak, Sr.

Foshie led the Lady Knights in nearly every batting stat, finishing her senior year with a .508 batting average, .543 OBP, 31 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, and 23 RBI. She also scored 15 times this season, placing her second among Chuckey-Doak’s hitters.

Madison Carpenter Greeneville, Sr.

Greeneville’s senior catcher didn’t just make plays behind the plate, but also at the plate. On a team that hit the ball a lot, Carpenter was one of the teams best, finishing second only to Jobe in many team stats. She had 66 hits, 42 RBI and 54 times, all second-best on the Lady Devils. Carpenter closed her senior season with a .528 batting average and an OBP of .570.

Lydia Darnell Greeneville, Sr.

Greeneville boasted a strong offense in 2024, with Darnell adding 44 hits, 39 RBI and 41 runs. She had one of the best OBPs, with a .532, and recorded seven doubles and seven home runs, second in the latter to only Jobe. She finished the season with a .431 batting average.

Madison Hensley South Greene, Jr.

Hensley was on of the best batters on a talented Lady Rebels roster. She finished at or near the top of the list for South Greene in nearly every category, recording a .444 batting average and OBP of .521. Her 36 hits were tied for second-most on the team and she drove home 19 runs, scored 31 times and led the team with 30 stolen bases.

Matti Phillips North Greene, So.

Only a sophomore, Phillips proved to be just as good as any after her performance at the plate during the Lady Huskies’ 14-11 season. With 30 hits, seven doubles three triples and five home runs, Phillips finished the season with a .441 batting average, second-highest on the team. Her OBP of .552 was the best on the team and she had 21 RBI. She also scored the most times, 33, and had the second-most stolen bases, 10.

Kaley Garland Greeneville, So.

Garland just finished her sophomore season, but her stats are up there with best in the county. On a talented Greeneville team, she was the third-most hits and RBI, with 46 and 43, respectively. She had 12 doubles and five home runs, finishing with a .407 batting average and an OBP of .444.

Lauren Million Greeneville, Sr.

Million finished her senior year with the third-most hits for the Lady Devils, cracking 49, including 10 doubles, and a home run. She drove in 40 runs and scored 28 times, ending the season with a batting average of .395 and an OBP of .426.

Katie Willett South Greene, Sr.

Willet was one of many Lady Rebels to pop off at the plate. Finishing the season with 36 hits, six doubles, three triples and a home run, she recorded a batting average of .414 and OBP of .490. She scored 42 times, the most of any Lady Rebel, and stole 28 bases, the second-most of any Lady Rebel.

Whitney Reaves South Greene, So.

Reaves was only a sophomore, but played like veteran. She finished the season with a .442 batting average, cracking 34 hits, eight doubles and two triples. She had 13 RBI, 26 runs and was second only to Hensley when it came to getting on base, ending the year with an OBP of .511.

Haley Bailey North Greene, Sr.

Bailey was one of the top hitters for the Lady Huskies. She had 31 hits, six doubles and one home run for a batting average of .403. She drove in 20 runs and scored 21 times. She also took on the role of catcher for her senior season after never before playing the position and aided in freshman pitcher Brooks’ stellar season in the circle.

Haven Carter S

outh Greene, Sr.

Any time Carter stepped up to the plate, she would make a play. She had 36 hits, nine doubles, and a home run. She enjoyed driving in runs for her team, recording a team-high 36 RBIs and ended her senior year with a batting average of .414 and an OBP of .452.