CCS Senior of the Year
JAZMYN JACKSON, SS, ARCHBISHOP MITTY
Once Jazmyn Jackson got that championship plaque in her sure hands after Saturday's game, Patrick Willis couldn't have pried it away.
The prize stayed in her possession and the smile remained on her face long after Mitty defeated Pioneer 7-4 for the section title. That
would be the 12th title in program history and third in Jackson's four years as a Monarch.
"It's bittersweet - the end of my (Mitty) career but we won CCS," Jackson said after the game. "It means a lot. We've dealt with a
lot of adversity from injuries to losing a game -- everything. It means so much because nobody knows how hard we've worked. We
always say it, but nobody knows it, so I really want to give all the credit to my team."
In the Mitty tradition, it's all about team for Jackson, who probably would have more of a right to act the prima donna than anyone --
if only it were in her nature. After all, the Cal-bound shortstop hit .538 while playing one of the toughest schedules around with eight
home runs, seven triples, 14 doubles and 27 runs batted in -- as a leadoff hitter.
She also drew 21 walks and was hit by three pitches, struck out only six times, had an on-base percentage of .635, a slugging
percentage of 1.109 and stole 19 bases in 20 attempts ... and only made five errors. Whew!
Said Jackson's teammate Desiree Severance: "Jazmyn has truly taught me and my teammates what is it to have passion for the game
we play. She is always giving her best effort in everything she does, and her competitive spirit drives us to be better. She as an
individual is charismatic, smart, hilarious and she we can always count on her to make a playlist for practices and bus rides - we bond
A LOT on the bus, you'd be surprised."
We believe.
Jackson's stats and that section title plaque already qualify her for every award imaginable ... and then there's her attitude
which apparently is off the charts. In recent days the thoughtful Jackson composed a social media posting that had Mitty coaches
in multi sports beaming with pride and brought some Monarch fans to tears. It says, in part:
"Wow, I could not have asked for a better ending to my story. I cannot say how much I love Mitty softball and the four different
groups of girls I was so fortunate to play with. Coach (Brian) Yocke's P.U.R.E. philosophy is exactly what this program is:
pride, unity, respect, and excellence. Pride isn't just being proud to have Monarchs across your chest, but also having
pride in the way you work, in the equipment, in the word "family" for me. I would describe Mitty softball as this rather than
a couple of teams or a softball program. If I did not believe that his was my family, I would not have the 27 new sisters I
have today. Through the best times and the worst times, we stuck together ... 14-18(-year-old) teenage girls ... haha enough said).
Our ability to have each others' backs and forget the outside world as soon as we stepped inside those white lines shows just
how strong our family is. Respect is key! Respect your coaches, teammates, umpires, opponents, teachers, administrators, and
parents. ... Finally excellence. Mitty softball is not "excellence." Mitty softball is the passion TO excel. This simply
means, be the best you can be at everything you do. On the field, play your hardest, cheer your loudest, run your fastest ...
give 110 percent on the field! There is nothing more a teammate or a coach could ask for than just pure passion and
effort. Excellence ALSO applies to the classroom!"
Jackson noted how no Monarch softball player has less than a B average and singled out Kata Pance for her otherworldly 4.83
GPA and ticket to the Penn. Or, as "Jazzy" put it: #UPennBound.
Continued Jackson in her opus: "I thank this program for helping me to find the passion in softball that I never knew I had.
I thank this program for the best four years of my life. As the torch was passed from all the greats before us down to the 2014
seniors, Kata, Mandi, Anissa and I will pass it down to the greats to come."
Poignant. Mind-boggling. The girl's punctuation is even good.
Mitty baseball coach Bill Hutton put Jackson's message on the Monarch baseball Facebook page. Wrote Hutton in his prelude:
"We have a lot of great athletes, students and young adults come through Mitty. We always hope they "get it." We hope the parents
"get it." A high school experience is a process. It is so inspiring to read what this young lady wrote. So touching. ... Jazmyn Jackson "gets it."
And then some.
Also considered: Janell Godfrey, North Monterey County; Pauva Talau, Stevenson; Rebecca Faulkner, Carlmont; Holly Geranen, Leland;
Celine Alcantara, Mt. Pleasant; Liz Ray, Notre Dame-Salinas.
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