1A east regional finals: Modest Edwards guides talented Rebels

By Cam Ellis
Published in Sports on May 27, 2015 2:02 PM

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cellis@newsargus.com

CALYPSO -- The North Duplin softball coaching carousel might have finally stopped.

The Rebels, playing for their third coach in three years, had the right man under their nose the entire time -- athletics director Ricky Edwards.

With a 16-3-1 record -- a six game improvement from last season -- and a spot locked up in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A regional finals, it'd be easy to point to Edwards as the difference maker in taking a good team and making them great.

Ask him about that though, and he'll tell you the answer you'd expect to hear from any successful coach.

"The girls have done everything we've asked them to do this year," he said. "They've played extremely well. They've represented North Duplin extremely well.

"The key to any good team is being able to hit the ball and put it in play. Otherwise, our pitching has been good and we haven't made too many errors."

It may seem cliche', but the formula works.

The Rebels have outscored their opponents 24-1 in the playoffs. They've flexed their offensive muscle in some rounds, including an 11-0 mercy-rule win over Granville Central; and been strong in the pitcher's circle and on defense others, like the 1-0 win over Perquimans.

Now the Rebels face their toughest assignment -- a three-game series with top-seeded and unbeaten Pinetown Northside.

"I really don't know that much about them," Edwards said. "They have a couple pitchers that throw well. They can hit the ball well. We're just going to go out there and keep playing.

"Hopefully we can be competitive."

While any run to the regional finals is impressive, this North Duplin team has upped the ante this year. The Rebels' have just two juniors on their roster. The remaining 11 players are a combination of freshmen and sophomores.

"We definitely can [compete with Northside] because we've played well all year," Edwards said despite the team's youth and inexperience. "Spring Creek and Princeton both beat us once, but then we also beat them both once.

"Conference play was tough, but I think it got us ready."

Rylee Pate and Haley Brogden have filled the Rebels' boxscores throughout the season. But Edwards has been most pleased with his catcher, Mary Barwick, has stepped into the leadership role.

"(Barwick) does a fantastic job for us," he said. "I think she does a great job controlling the game for us back there. She's had very few passed balls this year. She just does a great job."

With summer break just around the bend, Edwards will soon return to his 'day job' running the athletic department at North Duplin. While it's easy to view his coaching tenure as a stop-gap while the search for a more permanent solution is discussed, Edwards hasn't ruled out returning again next spring.

"I don't know much about the future," he said. "But I've really enjoyed this season. As of now, I'm still coaching."