“I can’t even explain it right now. Last game in high school, striking out the last hitter for the state championship, on (Derek) Hooper’s birthday … Northgate’s worked so hard for this. I can’t explain this feeling right now.”
That quote from senior pitcher Paul Rojas describes the 2009 season for the Class 4A state champion Northgate Vikings. The season finally ended after the championship series between Northgate and Starr’s Mill was pushed back to Saturday afternoon due to graduation ceremonies. The two finalists then split the two games over the weekend, pushing the deciding Game 3 to Monday.
The first game on Saturday saw Starr’s Mill win 3-2, but Northgate came back to dominate 10-3 in the second. Monday saw the Vikes jump out to an 8-0 first-inning lead just to see Starr’s Mill climb back before eventually falling in a 12-8 battle. “I knew eight (runs) wasn’t going to be enough when we got started,” said Northgate head coach Greg Hamilton. “[Starr's Mill] came to play.”
To open the series, Catlan Kendrick battled it out with Drew Johnson until the top of the seventh inning when Starr’s Mill singled in the winning run. The second game matched up Rojas, who threw a complete game for Northgate, and Starr’s Mill’s Ken Jackson, who lasted one inning before being knocked out; that contest saw Starr’s Mill commit four errors and the Vikings score 10 times on five hits. The younger Kendrick, Conner, took the mound for the Vikings in the final game and gave up one hit through four innings before being relieved in the fifth. Starr’s Mill started Danny Beadling, who gave up eight runs on eight hits in two-thirds of an inning. Starr’s Mill would bounce back and score three in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh, but Northgate would hold on to the lead to take the title.
Derek Hooper hit two home runs for the Vikings and Tyler Marvin also hit one as the Vikings proved they were the best in their class in Georgia for 2009.
“This was our year,” Hamilton said. “Sometimes we work this hard and don’t get here, so it’s very satisfying.”
And according to rising senior Weston Perry, the Vikes are not done. “We are going to come back for it next year,” he declared.
Northgate finishes its title season with an overall record of 30-5.
Bray can be reached at nickbray@theproject20.com.
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