TIGERS ON THE BAYOU
by Craig and Mitzi Hannah

The White County Title Tigers 9U baseball team recently completed their first full season of competition. The Tigers finished the year with a record of 42-21. The team played in 15 tournaments for the 2008 season, placing first or second in 10 of them. The highlight of the season for the Tigers was the USSSA 9U World Series in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Teams from several states participated in this invitation-only tournament beginning on July 13, 2008. The Tigers defeated teams from Texas and Louisiana to earn a three seed in the final round of play. In the final round, they beat the Louisiana state runner-up before losing to the Texas Legends from Houston, Texas and the eventual champions. The Tigers efforts however were good enough for a third place finish which garnered them individual trophies and a crystal team trophy. Also, during the skills portion of the World Series, Adrian Hannah finished third in the home run derby competition.

During their week in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the team had some time to enjoy the historical town. The city of Natchitoches, established in 1714, is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. The opening ceremonies of the World Series were held on historic Front Street, a brick thoroughfare where wrought iron balconies, restaurants, and shops face the beautiful Cane River. After the ceremonies, all of the teams were treated with hamburgers and drinks as they enjoyed an awesome fireworks display on the Cane River. One afternoon, the Tigers visited a five-acre alligator park. They enjoyed watching alligators in their natural habitat. The highlight of the park was watching the feeding of about 100 alligators in a giant pond.

Another site in Natchitoches is the Steel Magnolia House. The same historic home featured in the movie "Steel Magnolias." Needless to say, the parents enjoyed this site more than the players. The team members for the Tigers include: Adrian Hannah, Aaron Tuggle, Blake McCutcheon, Dylan Bradley, Griffith Dunn, Hayden Bowman, Hudson Brewer, Luke Wolfe, Rees Ridout and Tyler Boyce. All team members, except Blake McCutcheon, who is from Cabot, are from White County. This fact makes the team's accomplishments even more incredible when you consider that most teams they played included rosters of players from much larger geographic areas with larger populations.

Be sure and pick up a copy of this issue filled with lots more stories and photos!

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