Monday sports page: Trojans top Jaguars in Getwell Road rivalry
Photo: Northpoint Christian pitcher KL Farr delivers during Monday’s 3-1 victory over DeSoto Central. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Mar 17, 2025- Call it the Great Getwell Road Rivalry whenever DeSoto Central and Northpoint Christian meet in athletics, but it is most prevalent on the baseball field.
Both programs, spaced apart by just two miles along Getwell Road, are known to make significant dents in their respective playoffs, Mississippi 7-A for DeSoto Central and Tennessee Division 2-A for Northpoint. So another competitive, intense contest was expected when the Jaguars and Trojans took the field Monday, and that’s what was produced.
“There’s a playoff atmosphere in early or mid-March for both teams,” said Northpoint coach Stephen Kirkpatrick. “That’s why it’s such a great game.”
Enter KL Farr, the Northpoint senior pitcher who has committed to play baseball at Southern Miss next season. Farr, with help from some impressive play by his fielders, handcuffed the DeSoto Central offense in a 3-1 victory. Farr’s contribution came in the form of a one-hitter, a lead-off single from Christian Newsom in the sixth inning. Newsom would later score after a steal of second base, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to score him from third.
But that would be all the Jaguars could muster, as Farr struck out six and got help from great defense, including a diving catch by left fielder Nick Thomason to end the Jaguar fifth and leave a runner on base. Another diving catch in the outfield by Jayden Parker also kept the Jaguars from mounting a stronger attack.
“Without them we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Farr said. “It would be a much closer ball game than it actually was.”
On the mound, Farr was pleased with the heat he was able to throw.
“The fast ball today had a little more ride to it than I’m used to,” Farr said after the game. “I think that kept the hitters off guard.”
Farr also started the scoring offense for the Trojans when he singled and later scored to lead off the fourth inning, followed by Vail Perkins and pinch runner Josh Golden for a 3-0 lead at the inning’s end.
Cohen Mann took the mound loss for DeSoto Central with all three earned runs and seven hits allowed while earning one strikeout. Cooper Richardson relieved Mann in the fourth inning after the damage had been done and struck out three.
Familiarity is what stokes the rivalry, Kirkpatrick said, noting players from both teams know each other and have played with or against each other for quite some time.
“We’ve grown up playing travel ball with them and all our guys know each other,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s like this with all the DeSoto County teams. Whenever we play them we want to beat them.”
Both teams are back in action Tuesday and both are on the road. DeSoto Central travels to Oxford for a Region 1-7A game while Northpoint plays at Memphis University School.
NORTHWEST SOFTBALL HOLDS AT NUMBER NINE RANKING
Following a roller-coaster week that ended in a 4-2 stretch, the Northwest softball program held at No. 9 in the NJCAA Division II Rankings, released Monday afternoon.
Northwest (21-3, 2-2 MACCC) started last week with a pair of road losses to No. 1 Jones College, which remains at the top spot in the latest rankings. However, the Rangers recovered with a sweep of National Park College last Thursday and a sweep of then-No. 13 Pearl River on Sunday.
Northwest will resume competition against Mississippi Delta on Tuesday, March 18 at 2/4 P.M. The games were initially scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, but were rescheduled due to weather concerns.
SCOREBOARD
Monday, March 17
Prep baseball
- Northpoint Christian 3, DeSoto Central 1
- Myrtle 9, Center Hill 5
- Center Hill: Hannah – 3 hits, double. Brunetz – 2 doubles, 4 IP, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.
Prep softball
- DeSoto Central 6, Lake Cormorant 2
- Northpoint Christian 15, Briarcrest Christian 0 (3 innings)
- Northpoint: Katy Bobo – 3 hits, including a double, 3 RBIs. Bennett – double, 3 RBIs. Woodruff struck out seven in 3 innings pitched.
