WC duo Young, Landers led Lady Vikes on improbable run

In Lucy Young's 20-plus years at Warren Central, none can compare to the improbable run her Lady Vikes took to the final four of the state softball tournament. So it's no surprise that Young, who guided her team to a 24-14 record and a third-place finish in the state, is The Vicksburg Post's first Slow-pitch Softball Coach of the Year.

It's also no surprise that Marilyn Landers, one of the players who was most instrumental in getting WC to that point, is the Player of the Year. She was also selected to the Mississippi High School Activities Association's All-State Tournament Team.

Landers, a junior shortstop, stepped to the plate in the seventh inning of a blowout Game 1 of the state quarterfinals against nemesis Madison Central. Her inside-the-park, seventh-inning home run put the margin of the loss at 8-2, but sparked a comeback in which the Lady Vikes won the next two games and advanced further than any softball team in the school's history. That run came after Warren Central had to beat Greenville by at least nine runs in the final day of the season for a chance to host the first round of the playoffs. The Lady Vikes won by 10.

"I'd have never figured us going that far, especially how the middle of our season was going," said Landers, who played in the outfield as a sophomore. "We found if we kept our attitudes together, we played good." Landers hit .408 with six doubles, eight triples and 28 RBIs and was the leader on a quality-fielding infield defense. She adapted to her new position easily, routinely snagging bad-hop grounders and screaming line drives and turning double plays.

"She has improved steadily over her career and hopefully next year it will be the greatest ever," Young said of Landers. "The good thing about her is that she is so versatile and so strong in the fundamentals of softball."

Landers gave credit to Young for some of her progression. "She's been around softball for a long time," Landers said. "She's very knowledgeable about the game."

The veteran coach guided several of her former Warren Central soccer teams to the state championship game, but has not won a state title. She said that just getting to the show is joy enough and is something that never gets old. "It's always a thrill, I don't care how many times it happens," Young said. "When you get to the state playoffs and look around and see that your are there with the best the state has to offer, and you're a part of it, well there's no feeling like it. It's always great."

The Lady Vikes won't be able to sneak up on many opponents next year. Only one player, All-County catcher Heather Barnes, will graduate and she missed a good part of the season with a knee injury. Young and Landers know the expectations for next season will be lofty, but both are ready for the challenge.

"We will miss Heather, but we also have a lot of seniors coming back," Landers said. "We were excited to know we were the team that went the farthest ever at Warren Central and we're excited about next year."