1992 Baseball Team
No one can deny the importance of the 1992 Clay County Central baseball team, nor its impact on Rector athletics, as the young men and coaches who were a part of the squad earned the only senior high state championship in school history, capturing the Class A title with a 12-6 win over Hackett in El Dorado. It's not unfair to call the 1992 Cougars a team of destiny. Over their last eight games of the season, all of which were wins, the squad averaged 11.5 runs per game against some of the stiffest competition in the state. During the district tournament, CCC defeated Manila 10-0 in the first round, topped Bay 14-4 in the semifinals, then got past Buffalo Island Central 10-9 in the district finals.
The thrilling district win was eclipsed by the Cougars' 9-3 win over Marked Tree in the second round of the regional tournament, following first-round byes for both teams. At the time, Marked Tree was the top-ranked team in Class A. CCC rolled in the final, drumming McCrory to the tune of 24-5 for the regional crown. The Cougars started the state tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Smackover Buckaroos in Smackover. The game was crucial because CCC not only was playing on the opponents' home field, but also because Smackover had been the number one team in the state for most of the season.
The Cougars' second game of the state tourney was an entirely different animal. Clay County Central had five errors in the first inning, allowing Bergman to claim a 3-0 lead. The Cougars were able to battle back thanks to strong hitting, a key for the team, earning a 9-5 win. The Cougars ran away with the championship game, outpacing Hackett 12-6.
The thrilling district win was eclipsed by the Cougars' 9-3 win over Marked Tree in the second round of the regional tournament, following first-round byes for both teams. At the time, Marked Tree was the top-ranked team in Class A. CCC rolled in the final, drumming McCrory to the tune of 24-5 for the regional crown. The Cougars started the state tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Smackover Buckaroos in Smackover. The game was crucial because CCC not only was playing on the opponents' home field, but also because Smackover had been the number one team in the state for most of the season.
The Cougars' second game of the state tourney was an entirely different animal. Clay County Central had five errors in the first inning, allowing Bergman to claim a 3-0 lead. The Cougars were able to battle back thanks to strong hitting, a key for the team, earning a 9-5 win. The Cougars ran away with the championship game, outpacing Hackett 12-6.