FROM STAFF REPORTS

May 2007 was a memorable month in Shelby County.

It was a month of state titles, as county teams brought home hardware in every spring sport. Oak Mountain fired track coach Marty Springfield less than a week after he finished third in the state. County residents were recognized for their achievements on Team USA.

With this Year in Review, the Shelby County Reporter looks back month-by-month on the news stories and images that defined the year.

Join us as we recall the triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures that were 2007.

This is part five of a 12-part series that will run online through Jan. 1

Cornerstone completes perfect softball season

Cornerstone Christian School completed its 26-0 perfect season with a 14-0 blanking of South Choctaw Academy in the AISA softball state title game May 5.

Freshman pitcher Chelsea Dunnaway picked up win No. 25 for the season as she lowered her ERA to 0.52 for the season. CCS dominated all year, scoring 355 runs and allowing only 24.

Spain Park wins first tennis state title

May 3

The Spain Park boys surprised Mountain Brook 57-56 to capture the school’s second state title and first in a boys’ sport May 3 in Mobile.

Josh Benton and Martin Strickler defeated Mountain Brook’s Perry and Stewart Cassady to win the No. 2 doubles title and clinch the team championship. Ryan and Nathan White won the No. 1 doubles title

Eagles, Lions runners claim individual titles

Oak Mountain collected individual state titles in six events at the AHSAA state meet in Gulf Shores, while Briarwood Christian’s 4×400 boys’ relay team also won. James Adair led the Oak Mountain boys with wins the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs, while Zac Epperson won in pole vault. Marissa Brokaw led the third-place girls’ team with wins in the 1600-meter and 800-meter runs, while Sarah Bond won in 300-meter hurdles.

Rebels sweep Raiders for AISA title

Coosa Valley Academy won its first baseball state title in school history with a 13-1 victory over Shelby Academy in Montgomery May 9. Twenty-one was the team’s lucky number, as pitchers Michael Klinner and Zac Taylor combined for 21 strikeouts in the best-of-three series, while the Rebels’ bats had 21 hits to drive in 21 runs. CVA won the first game of the series, 8-0, May 8.

Three soccer teams win state

The Briarwood Christian Lady Lions highlighted the AHSAA soccer tournament in Huntsville May 12, winning their second-straight state title and seventh in program history with a 5-0 win over John Carroll. The Briarwood boys’ team won its third state title in seven years with a 2-1 victory over UMS-Wright. Briarwood became only the third school to ever win both the boys’ and girls’ titles in the same season. Oak Mountain collected the Class 6A title with a 1-0 win over Vestavia Hills. Mia Jones scored the game-winner for Oak Mountain with an assist from Chandler Hoffman.

Oak Mountain track coach dismissed

Oak Mountain High School track and field coach Marty Springfield was relieved of their duties Monday, May 9 according to OMHS athletic director Jerry Hood, who said there was a need to go in a different direction with the position.

Springfield helped guide the Oak Mountain boys’ and girls’ track teams to a third place finish and six individual first-place finishes at the state outdoor meet in Gulf Shores earlier this month.

Local couple leads USA to bronze medal

Competing for a World Championship was nothing new for Wilsonville residents Joe Ray and Ronda Jarvis-Ray, so it should be no surprise that this couple helped lead the United States to a bronze medal at the Eighth Disabled Water Ski World Championships in Townsville, Australia May 20.

The couple, who resides on Lay Lake, broke onto the world scene in 2003 as the first couple to compete at the World Championships. Ray is a seven-time world record holder in slalom, while Jarvis-Ray is a two-time world record holder.

Ray took home a silver medal in the trick event and bronze overall in the men’s MP2 classification.

Jarvis-Ray led the duo with four medals, taking gold overall in the women’s MP3 classification and silver in slalom and tricks. She added a bronze medal for the jump event.

Anderson leads Briarwood to golf title

Briarwood Christian’s Rosson Anderson teed off at the AHSAA State Golf Championships in Opelika May 14 with a hooking shot into the woods. However, two hours later he was on his way to a 68 for the day and a three-stroke lead in the Class 5A competition. He shot a 69 the next day to top all golfers in all classifications to help Briarwood Christian finish 19 strokes over par for the two days. The score was the best of all teams, 1A-6A, as the Lions took home the 5A title.

Mathias named Parade All-American

Former Oak Mountain girls’ soccer player Merritt Mathias, now a member of the U.S. Under 17 Women’s National Team, was named to the Parade magazine All-America High School Girls Team in mid-May.

She played in two international games in the fall of 2006, collecting her first assist in an international game against Argentina.