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Hernando Today

Another One Stays Close To Home

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: June 15, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - When high school seniors graduate at this time of year, one of the most important decisions they face is where they attend college.

Some decide that they want to get as far away from home as they can, while others decide it's a better idea to stay closer to home.

For Nature Coast Technical outfielder Jakara Willis, the decision to stay close to home was not a hard one. So the Shark centerfielder signed a softball scholarship to play this fall at Pasco-Hernando Community College.

Willis, who hit .214 for the year and started every game for the 19-6 Sharks, had 14 doubles and two triples on the year.

Her coach, Mettina Maggiore, said the Shark centerfielder was an important part of this year's team despite her low batting average.

"She had a good year for us," said the NCT first-year coach. "She had some great hits and great at-bats during the year. We used her in the number eight spot in the line-up, but later in the year we moved her up to the number two spot.

"She has a lot of talent and I don't think her batting average this year reflects what kind of talent she has."

During her first three years at NCT, Willis suffered along with the rest of her teammates as the Sharks had a rough time winning games. Nature Coast went 0-25 in Willis' freshman year and before the start of this season, the Sharks were 11-54 all-time.

But this year, Nature Coast had a huge improvement in wins and Maggiore said that Willis was a part of that improvement.

"With all the strong players on our team this year, in a way you can say that it helped someone when you are around winning players," said Maggiore. "It's going to help when every player on our team is pushed by the other players, and that's what happened to Jakara."

The Nature Coast Tech senior said she originally thought about going to college in the Chicago area.

"I've kept in contact with my coach from last year (Kristin Peeples) and I was telling her that coach (Tom) Ryan at P-HCC was interested in me," said Willis. "Then she asked me if I was interested in going to school up there with her, but it's too far. Besides, I told her I already had set my mind on going to P-HCC."

Willis said that being near her home far outweighed any interest she had in going away for college.

"I've never really been away from home," she said. "I'm the type of person that I really get homesick if I'm away from home for more than a week or two. Being in another state away from my mom and dad would really drive me crazy."

Even though her batting average was not the best it has been, her coach is convinced that Willis can help the P-HCC team next year.

"Watching her throw and catch and hit, a college coach will see that she can make a big impact on their team," said the NCT coach. "She has a lot of raw strength and talent. She has good mechanics and I definitely think she will help P-HCC next year."

The NCT senior, who had her junior year interrupted with a broken ankle, said that staying close to home was the biggest part of her decision to go to P-HCC.

"It seemed like a pretty good school to start off with instead of going to a four-year university," she said. "I want to study radiology and maybe go to St. Leo or South Florida. But for now, I'll just see where this takes me."

Willis is the fourth Hernando County softball player to sign this year with P-HCC. Besides Willis, NCT shortstop Kaitlin Wadsworth, Hernando Christian Academy catcher Mary Ellen Langley and Hernando pitcher Ari Lowman have signed with the Conquistadors, who were 10-33 this year.

By the Numbers: NCT's Jakara Willis
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

YEAR GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI .AVG
2005 12 26 02 04 0 0 0 01 .154
2006 19 48 01 12 1 0 0 05 .250
2007 21 71 10 24 5 2 0 18 .338
2008 24 65 19 14 2 1 0 06 .215
TOTALS 76 210 32 54 8 3 0 30 .257

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