Fleury Gives Jefferson a Fighting Chance

During his 11-year professional hockey career, Brian Fleury was slashed in the eye, goaded into countless fistfights and once played several games with a shredded rotator cuff.

"If the coach said to fight, you either fought or you lost your job," said Fleury, a cousin of former NHL great Theo Fleury.

Thankfully, Brian Fleury didn't bring that philosophy with him to Jefferson, where the first-year softball coach has led the Colonials to what is believed to be their best start in 15 years. Jefferson won only two games last season, but under Fleury the Colonials are off to a 5-3 start that includes a groundbreaking 4-2 victory Tuesday at perennial power Stone Bridge.

A program that had grown accustomed to losing, Jefferson has been invigorated by Fleury's optimistic outlook. "I believe in the positive coaching method," Fleury said. "I believe you turn negatives into positives no matter what."

That's what Jefferson did last week after a 20-0 loss to Langley, focusing on the few good moments during the "shellacking," as Fleury described it. The Colonials bounced back the next time out with a season-defining win over Stone Bridge, last year's Virginia AAA Northern Region runner-up.

The positives have been aplenty for Jefferson. Sophomore pitcher Meghan Mutchler has 99 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings, and seniors Amy Plunk, Kate Cooper and Kate Phillips have provided leadership and offense.

"They have a lot of passion," Fleury said. "They never quit."

Briggs Buoys Herndon

Herndon suffered a significant setback when Ball State-bound pitcher Katie Rynex broke her right ankle during the team's 2-0 victory over St. Frances (N.Y.) on March 28. She will be out five weeks and then reevaluated by doctors, Herndon Coach Bonnie O'Hearn said.

One of the Northern Region's most dominant pitchers, Rynex had not allowed an earned run in three starts and 23 innings of work. Boasting Rynex in the circle and eight seniors in the lineup, the Hornets (7-1) were the early favorite to win their first Concorde District title.

Those expectations have not necessarily been dashed. Senior Katie Briggs has moved from center field to the pitching circle, with encouraging results. Briggs struck out three of the four batters she faced to earn the save after Rynex's injury and collected 13 strikeouts during the team's next game, a 4-2 win over Essex. Herndon is 3-1 with Briggs as the starter, its only loss coming against No. 4 Battlefield.

Briggs "is very capable," O'Hearn said. "We'll adjust."

So Close Yet Again

Battlefield spent nearly an entire year mulling how close it had come to putting a blemish on Broad Run's perfect 2007 season. But when the Bobcats had a chance to beat the Spartans last weekend at the Sports Plus Tournament in Richmond, they experienced a nearly identical result.

For the second season in a row, Battlefield fell by one run to the top-ranked Spartans, this time by a 4-3 margin. "Obviously, it was tough," Battlefield Coach Joe Schelzo said.

Battlefield scored three runs in the first inning, collecting three hits off two-time All-Met pitcher Caitlyn Delahaba. But the Spartans scored the go-ahead run in the third inning, and Delahaba was flawless from there.