Despite death, team eyeing third regional title

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: April 9, 2008

For a softball team that recently felt the loss of a fellow bright athlete, these two standouts have maintained a sense of focus, camaraderie and humor.

Courtney Crews is the team’s leading catcher and the longtime girlfriend of the late Justin Whitaker, who died Monday of cancer. Whitaker played on the school’s varsity baseball team.

Courtney said the tragedy has prevented her from getting much sleep, but her head still has to remain in the game. North Stafford will continue to be the team to beat this season, she said.

“We have players that we have been playing with us for years on this team. We have five returning seniors this year,” said Crews.

Nikki Black, the team’s leading pitcher, said she recognizes her team’s success and is especially proud of winning two consecutive district championships. In order to maintain the team’s winning status, she said North Stafford must play each team with the same amount of determination every game of the season.

“I think the only thing that stands in our way is us,” added Crews. “I haven’t seen a team out there that we couldn’t beat, so the only people who are going to get in our way is us.”

The team finished last year with a record of 19-3. The Lady Wolverines are already off to 6-1 start.

Crews and Black said the team works very closely during practice, both defensively and offensively. The girls said that it helps to work with so many players they have played with before, both in school and on travel teams.

Despite their successes, neither of the players sees themselves as a typical team leader.

“Courtney leads by example. She isn’t one to go out and yell at someone. She goes out and plays her game, she plays her game hard and I think others see the way she plays her game, and I think that makes them better people,” said Pam Kantor, North Stafford’s softball coach. “Nikki’s stats prove what a leader she is. She is leading the area in wins; she is leading the area in strikeouts. Everything she has gotten up to this point she has earned…on pure work ethic.”

Kantor said her team is “confident but not cocky” because they have worked hard to get where they are today. Having two regional titles under the team’s belt has also helped to raise their collective maturity level , Kantor said.

“The team has meshed together. This is probably the closest our team has ever been in the past three years, and that in itself is showing and producing much better play,” said Kantor.

It is clear that the loss of Justin Whitaker has affected the entire team.

Both players and the coach were all were wearing shirts with his name printed on them, in his memory. While Crews couldn’t put into words how she felt about losing Justin, she did say his spirit would help her on the field.

“You always see kids [on the field] turn around, wave and say ‘hi mom, hi dad” — he was always the one I turned around for…I know that he’ll be up there watching over us,” said Crews.