Latexo Seniors Sign to Play College Sports

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

LATEXO – Two Latexo Independent School District (LISD) seniors were celebrated at Latexo High School Thursday, April 6 as they signed paperwork to play college sports. Kennedy Patterson signed to play volleyball at Dallas College North Lake and Shelby Coker will play softball at Southern Arkansas University Tech. 

Patterson said the coach at the school in Irving impressed her both with her record and ambition. 

“The coach was really nice; I really liked her. She’s very young but this is her tenth year and last year they got all the way to one game before nationals,” Patterson said. “She said her goal is to make it to nationals this year and she seems very personable with the girls. Her goal for us is to not only become better volleyball players but to become better people, too”

Patterson always felt more comfortable and found more success playing volleyball than other sports. 

“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was in eighth grade and I’ve had lots of support from my family, friends and different coaches. I was the most skilled in volleyball and it brings me the most joy,” Patterson said. 

LISD Athletic Director Greg Horn was not surprised the college coach was interested in Patterson. 

“She was our leader on the court and was our killer leader and our block leader,” Horn said. “She has been a great asset to us the three years I’ve been here and come a long way.”

Patterson, who described herself as a homebody, is glad her college is not too far from home, where she will miss family and her teammates. She plans to study radiography and sonography.

Coker has been an asset to LISD softball, batting almost .300 so far this year and working as the ‘designated hitter’ for the division-leading team. Coker was emotional about leaving her friends but was ready to head for new horizons. 

Coker first heard about the school, located in Camden, Arkansas – a little over four hours from Houston County – from Coach Horn. 

“Coach told me about the school and I contacted them and that was that,” Coker said. “I have played softball since I was little, played it in high school and I am ready to play it now in college.”

With two home runs already in the season, Horn said Coker, “bats somewhere around the seventh or eighth spot in our lineup and does a great job. She has a couple of stolen bases for us this year, too.”

Horn plans for this year’s seniors to not be the last LISD group to be offered the opportunity to play sports at a higher level. 

“I know we have a lot of the younger ones and their goal is to play in college which can be more of a job than a sport nowadays,” Horn said. “I think these two will be great.”

With specially made cakes, cookies, banners and the Latexo school cafeteria filled with the girls’ teammates, family and fellow students – the girls received a first class sendoff to their new homes and new fields of glory. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]