Lady Braves nip Hounds

Banks holds on for victory against Gaston in budding Highway 47 softball rivalry

By Jack Greene

The Forest Grove News-Times, Apr 8, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Banks infielders Maria Gooding (left) and Leiliana Cantu make sure this pop-up doesn’t fall en route to the Braves’ home victory Friday. The teams continue their friendly rivalry today in Gaston.

Chase Allgood / News-Times

ADVERTISEMENTS

Jenny Delplanche began her high school softball career playing third base for the Banks Braves under the tutelage of Coach Jerry Mettee who racked up five Cowapa League softball titles and a state championship.

Things have changed.

Jenny Delplanche is now Jenny Compton and is beginning her second year as the Banks head coach while Jerry Mettee has taken his act down Highway 47 to Gaston and is now in his 4th season.

Last Friday the two teams met and Compton’s 4A club held off a 7th inning rally by Mettee’s 2A team to win at home 5-4 in a contest that many are hoping will become a traditional friendly rivalry. If it does, it will be one with a family flavor.

Mettee’s assistant coach, Chris Herb, is Compton's uncle. His star senior player, shortstop K’rene Delplanche, is Compton’s cousin. Compton's assistant? Her younger sister, Laura Delplanche, of course.

“It seems everybody in the Banks area is related,” Mettee laughed.

As far as the game being a budding rivalry, the Gaston mentor says it’s a good-natured one.

“There’s good rapport between the two teams. I want to see them successful and they want to see us successful.”

So far, it looks like their both getting their wishes. Both coaches took over teams galaxies-removed from playoff contention. Gaston teams prior to Mettee’s arrival only fantasized about playoff games. Banks lost games last season by 23-2 and 17-0 scores and team morale could have easily crossed over to the dark side. But good coaches assert their will. And things change.

NEWS TIMES PHOTO: CHASE ALLGOOD • Banks pitcher Melissa Masters tosses a grounder to first base for an out in last Friday’s matchup against Gaston.

Friday’s game was a battle of two good teams.

Banks, off to a 6-1 start after last year’s disappointing 2-21 season, scored two runs in the first inning then added three more in the third, thanks in part to a two-run double by Ashley Vandecouvering to take control of the game at 5-0.

But Mettee’s girls who have been in the state playoffs the past two season, wouldn’t go quietly.

In the sixth they got two runs back when Jessica Garner hit a line shot to left-center scoring Becca Brown who had reached base on an error. Senior pitcher Katrina Rios who was 3 for 4 for the afternoon, then scored Garner with a base hit to cut the lead to 5-2 before the Brave’s freshman pitcher, Melissa Masters, doused the fire with two strikeouts.

“Masters may be a freshman” Mettee noted, “but she plays like an upperclassman. The pitching we see from a gal like that is comparable to the better pitchers at our level.”

1 | 2 Next Page >>