GULF SHORES, ALA. – After losing just their third game of the USSSA Gulf Coast National Championships, Cam Farrell’s Dirt Dobbers knew they had a long road ahead of them to simply make it to the Championship round. Despite putting themselves in the loser’s bracket early on, the Dobbers – a 14U travel softball team made up primarily of players from Community and Shelbyville Central with a few sprinkled in from surrounding counties – rallied to win seven consecutive games and climb into the Final where they would eventually fall to a team from North Texas, Xplosion X, by one run, 5-4, to finish 9-2. 

“I didn’t have to give a bunch of pick-me-up speeches, they were just on it and took it one game at a time,” Farrell said. “Everybody did their job, and we hit. We scored nearly 100 runs in the 11 games and allowed only about 30.” 

“They just got on it and they got determined.”

Two members of the Dirt Dobbers won prestigious awards following the conclusion of the tournament. The first, Janiya Leslie – an upcoming Sophomore at Shelbyville Central – won Defensive Player of the Tournament starting in center field. Leslie finished with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and recorded 18 put outs on 20 chances with two double plays.

“She’s always the fastest one in the tournament, and she’s a no-fly zone,” Farrell explained, “She turned two double plays from the outfield, she’s thrown people out at first from centerfield, I mean, she’s just that kid. She’s an athlete, and she was one of the ones that was like ‘we’re going to win this and get this done.’ Her energy…I mean when she’s not in, she's laughing and she’s goofy and cutting up, she’s got a parent who wants her to be great, and when you add all that up it makes for a great kid.”

Farrell also feels like her growth in travel will translate onto the field at SCHS in the spring, especially with the addition of a certain member on the coaching staff.

“Kailey Snell [new Ast. Coach at SCHS] has tons of energy and like Janiya, she plays fast. When her and Janiya get together and Snell is able to teach and build her up offensively, I think Janiya’s confidence will shoot up and then the same energy she has in travel will translate to school ball.”

Meanwhile, Hayden Moore – an upcoming Freshman at Community – won Offensive Player of the Tournament after batting leadoff and starting in right field. Moore finished with an unimaginable .727 batting average with 15 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and 17 runs scored.

“She [Moore] is a lefty, and she can soft-slap, she can burn an outfield, she’s ringing a fence, there’s just no way to play her,” said Farrell, “If you scoot up, she’s gonna burn you. If you back up, she’ll put it right in front of you. She can scoot, and she’s great with that bat. She knows how to find a ball, she’s very smart, and she gets us going. You have to have a good leadoff hitter – it’s like throwing gas on a fire. ”

Since Moore will be a Viqueen in the spring, Farrell got an early glimpse of what she might be able to bring to the table at the high school level, and it’s safe to say that he’s looking forward to it.

“I’m excited [for Moore at Community] and it’s two parts,” he said, “Either she’s going to come in there and get straight to it, or she’s going to work and push somebody so hard that it’s gonna make them get straight to it. It’s a win-win. Defensively, she’s a great outfielder, and then she has a great bat. I know she’ll come ready because she’s trying to figure out how to get better all the time. I tell kids this all the time, going to lessons one day a week don’t mean a hill of beans. You have to do stuff on your own without a parent telling you, and she’s that kid. She does stuff on her own and experiments which lets me know that she’s a go-getter.”

Now that the tournament is over, Farrell gave himself some time to reflect on how the summer as a whole has gone, and he says that he has fully enjoyed the time spent with the team and considers the community built among the parents and kids alike extremely important.

The 14U Dirt Dobbers finished 9-2 overall after winning 7 consecutive games to climb out of the loser's bracket and reach the Finals in Gulf Shores.

Submitted Photo

“Those kids just love each other,” he said, “The kids at Community beg me to schedule the other schools during the season so they can see each other. I look for good kids with good attitudes that can be coached. It’s a long hot summer to be dealing with folks where you have to worry about if they’re gonna get along, and I don’t have to do that with these kids. I could care less about what high school they go to because I want to see them in college and see them doing well and getting an education and then being productive in society. I feel like as a coach, that’s my job.”

“We unfortunately had a parent suffer a medical emergency the night we were supposed to leave for Gulf Shores, and this is a parent that does everything for me. She could have easily kept her kid home, but she let her go with one of the assistant coaches, and they stayed in the house down there that they had already paid for the entire time. The team got together and made sure the kid had sunscreen and everything she needed and everything went along great. Thankfully the parent was able to recover and get a lot better and even helped out with some things on GameChanger from home. When something goes down and everybody is needed, everybody comes together man. It’s just a family.”

The summer season of travel will officially conclude once school begins in early August, but Farrell is proud of how this group has grown together. 

Here is the full list of all of the players with their schools: 

Kamryn Farrell, Community High – .464 BA, .500 OBP, 7 RBI, 11 runs

Hayden Moore, Community High – .727 BA, 15 RBI, 17 runs

Ryleigh Lassiter, Community High – .444 BA, .467 OBP, 9 RBI, 6 runs

Taylor Harris, Community High 

Janiya Leslie, Shelbyville Central – .429 BA, .556 OBP, 3 RBI, 10 runs

Kenley Patton, Shelbyville Central 

Remi Cook, Eagleville High School

Allie Faye Haynes, Chapel Hill – .407 BA, .484 OBP, 10 RBI, 5 runs

Sydney Calderaro, Chapel Hill – .429 BA, .484 OBP, 9 RBI, 7 runs

Reagan Stephens, Summertown High – .400 BA, .500 OBP, 7 RBI, 8 runs

Kira Wix, Riverdale High

Karli Vanpelt, Lawerence County High