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Countryside tops national polls but loses coach

Three weeks after winning its first state title, honors are still rolling in for Countryside. Now, the Cougars can call themselves the best in the nation.

In two polls released this week, the Class 5A champions claimed the No. 1 spot. A team from Clovis, Calif., previously owned the position in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Studentsports.com polls for several weeks but lost in the playoffs to allow the No. 2 Cougars to move up.

"(Catcher Erin Brunt's) mom called me and said, "Guess what? We're No. 1,"' Cougars pitcher Bree Spence said. "My heart dropped into my stomach."

Countryside is no stranger to No. 1 national rankings. Last year, the Cougars held the USA Today/NFCA top spot for most of an undefeated regular season before losing in the 5A region semifinals.

This year, the 33-1 squad lost early in the season, removing any poll-induced pressure.

"We didn't think about that, I think that's what helped," Countryside coach Scott Kitchen said. "And the teams in California weren't likely to lose."

But they did. Clovis fell 4-0 to a crosstown rival it had beaten three times during the regular season, and previously third-ranked Bonita Vista (Calif.) also lost. Several nationally-ranked teams in California and Texas are still playing, but Studentsports.com said none will overtake Countryside. The Cougars will attempt to defend their title next season with a new coach after Kitchen announced his retirement Wednesday night at the team's banquet.

Kitchen, 49, graduated from Dunedin and is the only softball coach Countryside has known. He leaves with a career record of 426-168 in 23 years. In the past four years, the Cougars have 123 wins and four district titles.

"We always kind of knew because he said he wanted that state title and to go out with a bang," Spence said. "But it still hit kind of hard."

Kitchen said he wants to spend more time with his family, and his decision to retire was made before the season began.

"I had planned on it all along, though the way it's ending, it looks like I'm a genius," Kitchen said. "It just all fell into place."

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