When you think of softball in Lincoln County and the growth of the game and the people who have stewarded that growth over the last few decades, you come up with a handful of individuals who have made a huge impact.

Lisa Covington, Denise Warren Leggett and Scott Leggett are all names that would go at the top of that list.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Covington led Brookhaven Academy to a second straight MAIS 5A state title and the Leggetts took Loyd Star to the MHSAA 2A title series. For their outstanding leadership, the trio are sharing the honor of 2023 Daily Leader All-Area Coaches of the Year.

Lisa Covington

Back in the late summer of 2022, Brookhaven Academy began season number one of Covington serving as the head coach.

The former longtime head coach at Brookhaven High, Covington had been an assistant the previous season for former coach Becky Flowers.

The 2021 state champions from BA graduated a talented senior foursome that had been crucial in leading the team to the first state title in school history.

A year later, Covington and assistant coach Scott Poole had a team with just two seniors, but lots of young talent on the roster.

The Cougars gelled throughout the season and had a tight battle with Oak Forest Academy for first place in their district.

In the MAIS 5A South State Tournament, Oak Forest took two games from BA at the Hansel King Sports Complex to capture that tournament title.

Covington’s group wasn’t dismayed though. They bounced back in the MAIS 5A State Tournament to take a 4-2 win over Bayou Academy, a 3-1 win against East Rankin Academy and a 3-1 victory over Copiah Academy to put them into the championship series versus Oak Forest.

In that title deciding three-game series, BA got a 10-4 win at home in the opener and then went to Oak Forest and pounded the Yellow Jackets 11-1 to clinch the title and finish with a 25-8-1 record.

What will Covington and her crew do for an encore?

You won’t have to wait long to find out.

The 2023 season starts for the Cougars sooner than later as the first game of the year is scheduled for July 28 at Wayne Academy.

Expect Covington and Brookhaven Academy to be the team to beat again in MAIS 5A softball.

Denise and Scott Leggett

If Denise and Scott Leggett never coach another high school softball game, they’ll have left the sport on a high note.

The pair announced late in the season that this would be their last coaching softball at Loyd Star. Their daughter Alyssa signed to play softball next year at Southwest Mississippi CC and they’d like to be able to travel and watch her play, which would have been difficult while leading their own program.

The 2023 version of Loyd Star softball went 28-7 overall and reached the championship series of the MHSAA 2A playoffs where they lost both games by razor thin margins, both 3-1 losses, to East Union.

This writer doesn’t think the Leggetts are done coaching the game they love and have given so much too. One can imagine them taking this more as a break after beginning their softball coaching journey first with 14 years leading the program at Scott’s alma mater, Bogue Chitto.

During that tenure, Bogue Chitto played for state softball championships 11 times in slow or fast pitch. Twice the Bobcats raised the trophy as slow pitch state champions and four times they were crowned champs in fast pitch.

In 2018, the pair came to work at Loyd Star, the alma mater of Denise, first as assistant coaches under legendary head coach Jan Delaughter.

Delaughter retired after the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season and the Leggetts led Loyd Star to three straight Region 7-2A titles during their time as head coaches.

When you enrich the life of another, you are pouring yourself into someone else to bring them up.

When you think about Denise and Scott Leggett and the impact they’ve made as softball coaches, you can’t even imagine all the girls, many grown women now, who know what it’s like to be lifted up by their love and support.