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Lady Rebels End Season With Banquet

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McKENZIE (June 3)—Players, coaches, and parents of the McKenzie High School softball team gathered in the high school cafeteria Thursday afternoon to celebrate their district-winning season.

MHS Principal Kelly Spivey opened the banquet, joking, “A season’s not really over without a banquet.” He commended the girls on their great season before calling upon Lady Rebel Payton Ognibene to deliver the blessing. Everyone then enjoyed meals catered by Big Daddy’s BBQ.

As everyone finished their meals, Coach Kristi Brown thanked the Booster Club and Kelly Spivey for helping create the banquet before congratulating team members on their good year.

Assistant Coach George Ognibene recalled an ongoing joke with the team, quoting, “If size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle.” The team’s senior-less, 12-person roster could have made them weak, but their mentality is what brought them success and the district championship. Coach Ognibene thanked Principal Kelly Spivey for giving him the opportunity to coach the Lady Rebels.

Coach Kristi Brown and Coach George Ognibene distributed certificates and gift baskets to each Lady Rebel.

Coach George Ognibene helped Coach Kristi Brown present individual awards: Best Comeback — Briley Auvenshine; Best Defense — Katie Chesser; Best Offense — Anna Robinson; Most Improved — Jaleah Moore; Hustle Award — Alyse Lowe; Lady Rebel Award — Jaden Barton.

Junior Jaden Barton thanked her coaches and her teammates for giving her the opportunity to play. This season taught her about softball and about life, proving that there is not an obstacle she cannot take head-on. She echoed Coach George Ognibene’s story about having a lion’s mentality, saying that even though they only had a 12-person roster, the Lady Rebels proved to everyone they were “a force to be reckoned with.” She thanked coaches Kristi Brown, George Ognibene, and Jordan Jowers for never giving up on them and for helping them grow not only as softball players but also as young ladies. She ended her speech by thanking her parents and her teammates. She and Payton Ognibene then distributed gifts to their three coaches.

Coach Spivey concluded the program, telling the Lady Rebels how he cannot wait to see the great things they will accomplish together in the future.

The 2021 Lady Rebels were: juniors Jaden Barton and Anna Robinson; sophomores Briley Auvenshine, Kristin Bradberry, Kassidy Brown, Katie Chesser and Payton Ognibene; freshmen Savannah Davis, Nicole Gibson, Alyse Lowe, Jaleah Moore and Belle O’Brien.