Cougars Show Necessary Determination for Victory

There are many adjectives one can use to describe Zach Beggs.

One thing I’ve noticed about him while watching him compete in athletics is that the moment is never too big for him. Whether it’s a key regular season game, a contest for the region championship or, as was the case last weekend, state championship baseball series, Beggs seemed to thrive under pressure.

With his team holding onto a 9-7 lead with Windsor down to its last at-bat, Beggs was called on to seal the deal. Like he’s done so many times before, the mission was accomplished. No problem. Just another day at the ballpark.

Beggs had pitched a masterful game on Friday, going all seven innings and limiting a powerful Windsor lineup to no runs and just one hit. The senior did allow four walks, but that’s not uncommon in games of this nature as the home plate umpires have a tendency to shrink the strike zone. In other words, the pitch has to be perfect for it to be called a strike.

With Friday’s win recorded, Beggs played shortstop in Saturday’s second game of the series. He was called on in the seventh after the Knights had trimmed a five-run deficit to just two runs after Jonathan Osborn connected for a three-run homer.

At that point, Piedmont coach Daniel Funt, in his first season directing the program after several years as an assistant, decided it was time to bring Beggs on. His standout player promptly struck out Windsor’s clean-up batter before allowing a walk. The second out came on a fielder’s choice and the final out of the series — and the 2015 season — was the result of a fly out to right field. The celebration was on.

Beggs was just one of several standout players for the Cougars this season. Fellow seniors Luke Andrews, Michael Davis, Josh Williams and Hunter Burson all played key roles in the team’s championship.

Each one will be tough to replace, not just for their pitching efforts or performances in the batter’s box. Each senior led by example, giving the underclassmen something to look to as a way to conduct themselves on and off the field.

“I can’t say enough about our seniors,” Funt said. “They had to get used to me as a first-time head coach. It’s not always an easy thing, but they made it easy. They helped me and I hope I helped them. They are just a special group.”

The celebration continued well after the final out was recorded Saturday. Unlike a year ago, this time weather was not a factor other than a rather warm afternoon Saturday. There was no danger of rainouts.

As Beggs prepared for the final out, one could clearly see a smile on his face. The moment, as big as it was, was definitely not too big for this player, who will continue playing at the collegiate level.

It was a fascinating thing to watch Beggs fire his pitches toward home. The ball made a loud sound each time it connected with catcher Josh Williams’ glove. The speed was impressive, but so was the accuracy. Beggs, as one coach told me this spring, could have played for any high school in the state and been a top pitcher.

It was the perfect ending to another memorable season for the Diamond Cougars. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

For the players on the 2015 team, this season will also remain with them. For the seniors, it was the absolute perfect way to complete their high school careers.

Monticello native Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal in Winder. He welcomes feedback at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.