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Surry Central senior Brittany Myers announces she will play for Surry Community College next year. With her are parents Robert and Crystal Myers. On the back row are SCC Coach Amber Reid and Surry Central Coach Glenn Craddock.
Jeff Linville | The News
Brittany Myers has anchored the middle of the Lady Eagles’ lineup since her sophomore year.
DOBSON — Surry Central’s Brittany Myers, an all-state softball player, announced that she will play for Surry Community College next year.
Brittany, the daughter of Robert and Crystal Myers, led the team in almost every offensive category.
“Brittany’s bat has come a long way this year,” Coach Glenn Craddock said at the end of last season. As a sophomore, she showed plenty of pop, hitting eight homers. However, she also made some easy pop-outs, too.
At the start of Brittany’s junior year, Craddock emphasized solid contact and line drives. Her homers dropped from eight to three, but everything else got better.
“Once she started doing that, her average shot up,” he said. She was well above .400 most of the season before finishing at .383.
She led the team in batting average, runs, RBIs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Despite getting walked once every five times she stepped up to the plate, she also was tied for the team lead in total hits and doubles.
Brittany has played third base primarily, but played several games at catcher her sophomore year when Ivey Johnson went down with a hand injury.
“I’ve had her at four different positions already this year, and the season hasn’t even started,” said Craddock.
That versatility and willingness to do whatever the team needs are two qualities that attracted the attention of SCC Coach Amber Reid.
Reid said she can see Brittany helping out at several positions, including third base and shortstop. She also asked the senior to be open-minded to filling in from time to time at catcher again.
“Brittany’s work ethic is outstanding,” said Craddock.
Brittany quoted football legend Vince Lombardi: “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
“With saying that, I always strive to be the best that I can be, because you’re not given anything in this world,” she said.
For the first time, the coach decided to name team captains. He chose Brittany to one of the three spots, along with Meagan Hutson and Jordan Wood.
“The fact that that SCC is close to home is the key factor in my decision to sign with them,” said Brittany. “Not only can I get a quality education, but also I can do what I love the most: play softball!”
While Craddock reached out to the college about Brittany, Reid said several other people also talked to her on the young woman’s behalf.
Reid thought it said a lot about Brittany’s character and abilities that so many folks were willing to back her.
The college team is losing six sophomores next year who provide much of the offensive firepower. Adding Brittany could offset that loss.
This isn’t the first time that Reid has delved into the Eagles’ system for a player.
Last season, the coach’s daughter, Chelsea Craddock, was named pitcher of the year for Region X.
Amber was a standout pitcher at East Surry in her day, and she had worked closely with Chelsea and improved the movement on her pitches, noted proud papa Glenn.
Former Eagle catcher Ivey Johnson is a freshman at SCC this season. So are former league rivals Evelyn Wells and Sarah Scott (East Surry) and West Stokes star Brianna Bratcher.
“Having others there that I know gives me a sense of relief,” said Brittany. “And also since I’ve played against most of them for many years, they know my strengths and weaknesses. Being on the same team will provide a competitive atmosphere for me and the team.”
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