John Marshall softball coach Ed West sits in the dugout at Monarch Field Friday afternoon totalling up season statistics for the state champion Monarchs. This season was his final as he will be retiring.
Ed West ended his lengthy softball coaching profession at John Marshall Thursday as only a coach can dream.
The personable Monarchs’ mentor was presented his second W.Va. Class AAA state championship when standout pitch Kadence Pettit recorded her 614th profession strikeout to finish a six-two victory more than Cabell Midland in the final game at Tiny Creek Park in South Charleston.
Despite the fact that he hasn’t submitted his letter of retirement to the Marshall County Board of Education, West had let it identified he wouldn’t be back in 2024.
“I seriously haven’t kept it a secret,” West mentioned. “Other men and women have asked me and I mentioned ‘Yes, I’m going to retire at the finish of the year.”
When the final out was recorded, West was so content, but it wasn’t that way moments earlier..
“It was a fantastic feeling (that final out). I seriously wasn’t also comfy till we got the final out simply because they had the bottom of their order coming up, and if they turned the lineup more than, we could be in difficulty,” West recalled.
With a runner on initially and no outs, initially baseman AC Cumberledge saved the day with an unassisted double play that eased some of the tension. Pettit then ended it in style.
“The feeling was ‘wow, it is more than,” he mentioned of his profession. “It was a excellent way to finish our season and a excellent way to finish my profession.”
And what a profession it has been.
West posted a profession mark of 353-96 in 14 seasons, winning his initially state title in 2012. His teams have won 12 W.Va. Class AAA sectional titles, eight regional titles and seven OVAC crowns.
His 350th victory came in the Area I finals against University.
“That was seriously particular to win that game at household and in the regional finals,” West mentioned.
Prior to taking more than the plan, West assisted legendary Monarch head coach Pancho Flores, who won 405 wins in 24 years, for his final nine seasons.
“Pancho was there a extended time,” West noted. “He won a state title in 1988. I began assisting him in 2009.”
West was quite pleased for his senior class, which consists of Pettit and Paytyn Tucker, each West Liberty recruits. They
“It was heartbreaking to see them not be in a position to play their freshmen years. We would’ve had a seriously very good group that year with the Blake twins (Abby and Anna) becoming seniors and Kadence and Paytyn becoming freshmen.”
West mentioned the identity of the 2012 group was a lot of talent and completed 35-four.
“We lost our initially two games that season to Magnolia and Edison and then won 31 in a row,” he recalled. “Our subsequent loss was to Wheeling Park in the Game two of the sectional finals. We beat them in the opener and beat them in the third game. Our subsequent loss immediately after that was in the state tournament.”
The identity of this year’s squad was how the mixture of skilled players helped the younger girls along.
“We had the practical experience with Kadence, Paytyn and (junior) Ava Blake and they helped the younger girls, who have been seriously talented. They took them beneath their wings and showed them how we do it right here.
“Coming into the year I knew we had outstanding pitching and I knew our defense was going to be strong, but I was worried about our offense,” West mentioned. “As it turned out, that was most likely correct. We had a couple of games exactly where we hit the ball and scored a lot of runs, but there have been other games when we, as a group, struggled to hit the ball.”
West mentioned when he began checking out other Class AAA teams about the state, what he discovered out raised his self-assurance level.
“This is quite wide open. We’ve got as very good a opportunity as anyone.
“Before we played Morgantown in the third sectional game, a single of my assistants, Robby Blake, told me ‘if we win this game, we’ll win the state.”
The Monarchs pounded the Mohigans that evening and Blake’s prediction was proper on.
West wanted to thank his coaching employees.
“They have been with me for a extended time,” he mentioned of Blake, Eric Booth and Rod Swoger. “I seriously appreciate what they have carried out for our plan and the assistance they have offered me.”
He wanted to thank his family members, as effectively.
“My wife (Colleen) and 3 daughters (Shilo, Shannon and Abby) have been seriously supportive more than the years.”
He also wanted to thank the players’ households and the neighborhood help the group received when in Charleston and when they returned household late Thursday evening.
“The group bus was met at the Marshall/Wetzel county line by a extended line of emergency autos who had their lights and sirens going all the way to the higher college,” he recalled. “Then, when we got to the college, the parking lot was filled. It was unbelievable.”
So what does a state championship softball coach do the following morning?
“I played a round of golf with my grandson, Ethan Cook.”
If I know Ed like I feel I do, he’ll be leaning on the fence subsequent season watching the action.
Have a content and secure retirement.
Congratulation on a Hall of Fame worthy profession.
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