Williams, Jarman share top player honor

 Competing in high school sports can be nerve-racking for any athlete. One player or play can make or break a team's season.

Richlands freshman pitcher Mikayla Jarman and Croatan junior shortstop Paige Williams each had different pressures on them to succeed. And both handled them with class.

That is why Jarman and Williams were named 2008 Daily News co-Players of the Year as voted on by the coaches in the area and The Daily News Sports staff.

"I'm very honored to receive that (award)," Jarman said. "I hope to improve over the years. I hope to achieve my goals in softball."

"I'm very excited," Williams said. "I'm really honored."

It's quite unusual for a freshman to post incredible stats like Jarman. She posted a record of 15-3 with an ERA of .77 and led the area with 127 strikeouts to help lead the Wildcats to a tie for second in the East Central 2-A Conference and to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Edenton Holmes.

"It's a great honor for a freshman to do so well in a competitive conference," said Wildcats head coach David Evans. "I expected her to be pretty solid (this year). It didn't surprise me, there weren't any big surprises. She kept slowly developing, she's a strong girl."

Physically, Jarman had the stuff on the mound, but it was her mental attitude that could have affected her. Moving up from middle school, she was competing against players who had more experience and training than what she had previously faced.

"I was very nervous at first and I didn't want to let the team down," she said. "I was very happy. We worked very hard and we wanted to improve.

"I just turned 15 and was facing 18- (year-olds). The whole community was supporting us."

She also had to deal with the pressure of taking over on the mound from Leslie Taylor, who was on an All-Area selection last year. Her graduation left Jarman with some big shoes to fill.

"(Taylor) was a good pitcher," Evans said. "We had to be patient (with Jarman) and we tried not to put a lot of pressure. We let her develop.

"She was well prepared and she gained a lot of experience in the playoffs. Her transition to high school ball was exceptional and smooth. She has three strong years left in her."

Jarman handled the pressure very well for a freshman. It actually runs in her blood since, she said, most of her family played athletics during in high school, which made it easier for her to adjust in certain games.

She progressed through the season, only losing twice to Eastern Regional champion South Lenoir and once to Croatan. Jarman is looking forward to increasing her skill level for her sophomore year.

"We do have a tough conference," she said. "We lost 2-0 to South Lenoir and it showed how close we were. There were some things that could have gone better. I'm proud of the way I played."

The Cougars' Williams had other difficulties to overcome. She was battling herself to improve from last year and it helped her team reach the fourth round of the state playoffs before falling to South Lenoir.

Williams, who was named to the All-Area second team last year, dedicated her off-season to improve her game and reach her ultimate goal: To play Division I college softball.

In order for her to reach that goal, she would have to gain the attention of scouts. She worked hard on trying to improve herself.

And she did more than just hone her offensive skills. It was her improvement on defense that made her stand out and attract the scouts.

Croatan head coach Jim Podd saw first hand how much she had worked on her defensive game. Williams said she committed only two errors all season and it was due to how hard she worked during practice.

"She was a big influence for us this year," Podd said. "We did have a lot of groundouts and she helped out a lot (there). She's a real good athlete. There weren't many chances that she couldn't get the out."

But just swinging in the batting cages and taking groundballs down at the local field wasn't enough for Williams. She played travel softball and went to a top camp during summer break. She knows that playing against tough opponents all year long is the only way for her to reach Division I.

"I played year-round," she said. "I take practice very seriously. Every time the ball is hit in practice, I work on my skills to get it. Sometimes I get another player to videotape my swings. I want to play for a Division I college team."

Both girls noticed other during the regular season, when their teams split two games. And both are proud to share the award.

"She is a great player," Jarman said. "We are rivals, but I don't have any hard feelings. I'm proud of her. She deserved it."

"I know that I didn't hit that great against Richlands," Williams said. "She deserves to have that honor."