FORT WHITE — The recognition wasn’t as important this season for Kadence Compton. She felt a little lighter on her feet, right from the hopeful beginning and even through the bitter ending.
The Indians ace cried, of course, after losing her last high school game, a 6-0 loss handed to her by her career-long rival Branford in the Region 3-R semifinals.
In prior years, it could’ve made a bigger impact. Compton said she carried that weight with her during her prior four years on the varsity roster.
But Compton took a different approach to close out her time at Fort White.
“(The biggest thing) this season was just having fun on the field and not taking it so serious,” she said. “This year, I played for fun, and I really played for me.”
While the recognition from others may not be as important anymore, it didn’t stop Compton from earning this year’s Lake City Reporter Softball Player of the Year honors. It marks the third time in Compton’s five seasons winning the award.
The mental approach from all parties at Fort White did seemingly make a difference, especially for Compton personally. She finished with a career-low 0.86 ERA while striking out 189 batters in 138 2/3 innings. She did all this while maintaining her stellar performance in the batter’s box from last season, tallying a .403 average with 19 RBIs and a career-high six home runs.
Compton said with first-year head coach Jessica Robinson entering the fold, it didn’t take long for her and her teammates to come together on a new mentality.
“Honestly, it wasn’t even too hard because we had new people, and those younger people coming out, they had great energy coming into it,” she said. “We had no problems. It wasn’t that hard to keep it all civil between everybody.”
It was an approach, Robinson said, that she felt Compton and the rest of the team needed, and one that was her own personal highlight.
“Just seeing (Compton’s) passion for softball come back to life,” Robinson said. “Her smile on the mound. I think just the atmosphere and culture changed with us stepping in from what the girls told us (through feedback).
“What her mom told me, and Kadence, was that all these years, she’s had coaches who are super hard on her, almost to the point it was negative. Once we stepping in, she didn’t realize she could have coaches that were positive. It was a whole different coaching (method) than she was used to, and so that kind of changed her outlook on it.”
The new outlook afforded Compton a little more freedom on the field. She pitched with catcher Khloe Kirby during Compton’s junior year, but the rising freshman played a bigger role in helping Compton perform at her best in the circle. The two communicated throughout the year, calling their own pitches on Compton’s way to allowing the fewest runs she’s allowed in a season for her carer.
But Compton said the trust wasn’t always there starting early in their relationship.
“She was actually really scared of me when she first met me,” Compton said of Kirby. “But when she started catching me, we bonded really, really close. She still catches me now even though I’m graduated. We’ll still get out on the field and pitch and catch.
“I guess she realized that I have bad RBF, and she realized that once you talk to me, I’m not as mean as I look.”
The two dialed in for the meat of the season. The Indians won nine of 10 games from March 25-April 29. Compton allowed just 13 runs in that stretch while tossing four complete-game shutouts.
Compton said her growing relationship with Kirby, along with the fresh mindset of the team, proved the catalysts for the run.
“I felt more loose during the games, not as stressed like I was trying to throw a strike,” Compton said. “I was not thinking about as much, and I feel like that really helped me throw more strikes, throw loosely, have fun on the field and not being too serious and not having fun.”
The approach worked at the plate as well, with Compton tying a career high with 11 extra-base hits while winning games with her bat, including a walk-off 2-RBI double to beat Santa Fe on March 4.
“I realized that I can only do so much (at the plate),” Compton said. “We have to be a team, so I just went up there loosely and hoped that I would get a hit and hoped God would let me get a hit.”
Of course, Compton’s season didn’t end as she’d wanted. She had to get through the biggest nemesis of her career in Branford to get one more shot of avenging Fort White’s 2022 loss in the Class 1A state championship game. She’d pitched in 16 games previously through her career against the Bucs, going 8-8.
Compton said she knew going into the regional semifinal the weight of expectation that was upon her.
“Especially during big games against Branford, I feel the pressure a little bit,” she said. “Like, I have to do good. We have to win. But at the same time, I know that I’m playing for me, so I just kind of let it go through my head. I don’t focus on that while I’m on the field.”
Compton was visibly upset after the 6-0 loss. Robinson said Compton put the blame on herself.
“She felt like she let her team down,” Robinson said. “But of course, it wasn’t just her. There were errors that happened. (Branford) got an early jump on us. I think the morale of being on their home field, there was just a lot of factors that went into it. But again, she turns right around and lifts the team up…Just encouraging teammates, telling them to hold their head high.”
That approach led to the next big decision for Compton. She’d committed to Indian River State College to continue her softball career ahead of the regular season, a school nearly 300 miles away from home. As the season grew closer, Compton began to have a change of heart.
“Going into senior year of school ball I wanted to have fun and focus on myself because going in I kind of had the mindset that I didn’t really want to play any more after my senior year,” Compton said. “I kind of wanted to just leave it there after senior year. That’s when I texted (IRSC assistant softball) coach Joe (DellaRocca) after the season ended that I just didn’t really want to play anymore. It just wasn’t what I wanted to do, to go down there, anymore.”
Compton was released from her letter of intent. Shortly after, Santa Fe College head coach Savanah Webster reached out, and the two clicked immediately.
Compton said Webster’s coaching approach reminded her of Robinson’s. It’s why the 3-time LCR Softball Player of the Year will continue to play at the next level, closer to home this time in Gainesville.
“I just really loved her vibe and what she gave off,” Compton said of Webster. “She really gave off coach Jess and coach Josh (Robinson) vibes to me. I love the way they coach, so I feel like if I go out there and I play for her, I feel like I could be relaxing and have fun.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
P: Kadence Compton
Fort White, senior
The LCR’s Player of the Year and Santa Fe College signee led the area with a 0.86 ERA and 189 strikeouts against just 31 walks in 138 2/3 innings for the 17-7 Indians, who reached the playoffs; also led FWHS with a .403 batting average, a .488 on-base percentage, six home runs and 19 RBIs to go along with four doubles and a triple.
P: Laila Arnold
Branford, senior
The Florida Gateway College signee helped the 21-7 Buccaneers reach another state Final Four with a 2.32 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 123 2/3 innings.
C: Morgan Brennan
Branford, senior
The Eastern Florida State College signee led the area with 29 RBIs while batting .392 with a .451 on-base percentage that included nine doubles and a home run; posted a .996 fielding percentage (one error).
1B: Kimber Long
Columbia, senior
The Warner signee had a .362 batting average and a .442 on-base percentage with 19 RBIs, 19 runs, five doubles, a triple and four home runs to help the 15-12 Tigers reach the regional semifinals; posted a .977 fielding percentage.
2B/SS: Maylee Gabey
Suwannee, sophomore
Led the 12-12 Bulldogs with a .423 batting average, a .481 on-base percentage and 16 RBIs while also scoring nine runs, hitting four doubles as well as a triple to help them reach the regional semifinals; stole 10 bases too and posted a .902 fielding percentage.
SS: Cloey Criggall
Branford, senior
The West Florida signee led the area with a .521 on-base percentage, 38 runs and 11 doubles, tied for the team lead with 26 stolen bases, and hit .391 with 20 RBIs and a triple; posted a .937 fielding percentage.
3B: Ella McAdams
Lafayette, junior
Led the Hornets with a .366 batting average, .464 on-base percentage, 28 runs and 27 stolen bases to go with a pair of doubles and a triple in the leadoff spot.
OF: Luisa Taylor
Columbia, junior
Led the Tigers with a .418 batting average, a .454 on-base percentage and 24 runs while also hitting five doubles and a triple; didn’t make a single error all season.
OF: Ellie Frierson
Branford, senior
The Santa Fe College signee .410 with a .464 on-base percentage that included 26 RBIs, 31 runs, eight doubles and three home runs; didn’t make a single error all season.
OF: Alex Whitfield
Branford, senior
The West Florida signee hit .405 with a .488 on-base percentage that included 26 runs, 26 stolen bases, eight RBIs, a double and a pair of triples; posted a .917 fielding percentage.
DP: Victoria Swain
Branford, junior
Led the Buccaneers with a .468 batting average while finishing with a .517 on-base percentage, which included 28 RBIs, 13 runs, seven doubles and three home runs.
UTIL: Mallory Blue
Branford, junior
Led the Buccaneers with four home runs while batting .365 with a .390 on-base percentage, which included 27 RBIs, 19 runs, five doubles and a triple; posted a .984 fielding percentage (one error) playing mostly first base while also pitching some, finishing with a 2.29 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings.
UTIL: Sakiya Merriex
Columbia, senior
The FAMU signee led the Tigers with nine doubles and three triples, tied for the team lead with eight stolen bases, and hit .373 with a .441 on-base percentage that included 16 RBIs and 21 runs.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Oscar Saavedra, Branford
Led the Buccaneers to a 21-7 record, another district title and their fourth Final Four berth in five seasons. Branford defeated Fort White 3-1 to win the District 6-R crown and then beat FWHS again a week later in the Region 3-R semifinals via a 6-0 final. That win sent the Buccaneers back to the regional finals, where they avenged a loss to Madison County during the regular season with 13-1 run-rule victory to advance back to state. Branford’s season ended in the state semis, falling to Northview 14-6.