By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

CENTRE – Cherokee County High School junior center fielder Brooklynn Bruce is small in stature, but her talent came up big throughout the Lady Warriors’ 2026 softball season.

Bruce batted .367 with six doubles, three triples, eight walks, 31 stolen bases, 42 runs, and 14 RBIs as a leadoff batter, but she also contributed countless defensive plays that helped the Lady Warriors earn a 30-20 record and a trip to the Class 4A East Regional in Albertville, where they fell just a game short of making the state tournament.

First-year Lady Warrior head coach Heather Hawk said opposing coaches complimented Bruce’s performances throughout the season, particularly her quickness.

It’s no wonder Hawk decided to put Bruce in the Lady Warriors’ leadoff spot.

“She contributed greatly to a lot of our wins,” Hawk said. “She’s so fast and so determined to be successful. She deserves that (leadoff) spot, and she’s played it very well for us.”

So well, in fact, that the Cherokee County coaches recently rewarded Bruce as their All-County Softball Most Valuable Player.

Bruce credits her teammates for helping her earn the honor.

“Playing with these girls is really fun,” she said. “They’re very competitive, and they’ll do anything to win a game. We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but it’s all about memories and being out there with people you love.”

Something Bruce loves to do on the diamond is bunt, but Hawk said there’s more to Bruce than just playing small ball.

“She can swing away and hit a long ball. She can put a ball in play.” Hawk said. “I think she had 53 singles, and a lot of that was a bunt for a single, but she’s not just a small ball player.

“We know she’s efficient in the box offensively and she can get the job done, but she’s also a great defensive player. She contributes at an elite level in everything she does, and I feel like she is well deserving of this honor.”

It took Bruce and the rest of the Lady Warriors a little while to get things going this season, but they finally started playing their best ball near the end.

With much of this season’s team returning, Bruce said she can’t wait to get back to work and make another postseason run in 2027.

“We accomplished a lot throughout this season. Making it how far we did to regionals was great. We came up short, but I definitely see us going farther than what we did this year. We have all summer to work,” Bruce said.

That’s exactly the attitude Hawk loves to see from one of her now-senior leaders heading into the offseason.

“Our younger girls look up to her,” Hawk said “Even though we’re graduating some amazing young ladies, we do have some who will come in and work hard to fill those spots. We just have to make sure we fill those pieces for next year. We do have a great foundation, and that helps a lot.”

In addition to Bruce’s honor, the Cherokee County softball coaches also selected Lady Warrior senior Emma Hill as their Pitcher of the Year.

Hill went 23-12 in the circle with 297 strikeouts and a 2.44 ERA in 221 innings pitched.

Sand Rock junior third baseman/pitcher Emma Sipsy and Cedar Bluff freshman catcher Paityn Walker were named Co-Hitters of the Year.

Sipsy batted .477 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, three triples, 15 walks, 21 stolen bases, 53 runs, and 50 RBIs. Walker batted .466 with 15 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Lady Warrior freshman Sydni Frost earned the county tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor.

Frost tossed five innings and gave up an unearned run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts. She was also 3-for-3 at the plate in the Lady Warriors’ 8-1 victory over Sand Rock in the Cherokee County Tournament championship game last season.

The complete 2026 All-Cherokee County Softball selections are listed below.

2026 All-Cherokee County Softball Selections
Most Valuable Player: Brooklynn Bruce, Cherokee County
Pitcher of the Year: Emma Hill, Cherokee County
Co-Hitters of the Year: Emma Sipsy, Sand Rock; Paityn Walker, Cedar Bluff
County Tournament MVP: Sydni Frost, Cherokee County

All-Cherokee County Softball Team
Izzy Patterson, Cherokee County
Emma Eberhart, Cherokee County
Aubie Camp, Sand Rock
Molly Grace Lay, Sand Rock
Alyvia McMichen, Sand Rock
Kylie Vadon, Cedar Bluff
Ciana Smith, Cedar Bluff
Maya Jennings, Spring Garden
Olivia Messer, Spring Garden
Lydia Reynolds, Gaylesville
Makenlee Young, Gaylesville