I consider myself pretty lucky to have this job. It's one that I enjoy coming to everyday and working with the athletes and coaches in this county is right up my alley.

But there are a couple of things about this job I usually dread when the time comes around for the tasks to be completed: paperwork and selecting the all-county teams.
Don't get me wrong, I love having the opportunity to reward the athletes that keep us entertained and excel at their given sport.

But it's a draining process that, believe it or not, takes at least a week of reviewing stats, talking to people, and measuring a player's impact.
But this spring, that task seemed a little easier than normal.

Once it was decided how many players would be chosen for each of the three spring sports all-county teams, the slots filled up quickly.
There was an amazing amount of talent on display this spring.
But for our three Players of the Year - Michael Harris in soccer, DeAndre Allen in baseball, and Kayla Kerns in softball - it was an easy decision.

All three had incredible seasons, but also played vital parts in their teams' success. It was almost as if the teams they played for went as they went a majority of the time.
Harris set the school record for goals in a season this year. He broke his own record.
If by some chance you lost track of Harris on the field, there was an easy way to find him.
Find the ball and he was probably somewhere close by. I saw players this year that were bigger, faster, and had better ball skills than Harris, but none played harder or found more ways to score.

He had a phenomenal season and stood above the rest of the crop of soccer players in this county during the spring.
Allen was one of the first athletes I had a chance to see when I took this job nearly two years ago.
A few people had mentioned his talent on the diamond and I finally got to see it at a Hiwassee baseball camp a few weeks later.

I was impressed with his skill set then and certainly am now. Allen is a five-tool player and one of the most versatile players I've seen in awhile.
Allen started and ended his season with arm troubles. Those troubles may have played a role in Sequoyah's season ending prematurely, as Allen was one of the hottest pitchers in the district towards the end of the regular season.

Would he have made a difference on the mound in the postseason? It's a real possibility.
 But regardless, Allen was the model of consistency throughout the year and will be a force for the Chiefs over the next two seasons.
Kerns added yet another award to her shelf after following up a dominant junior season with an even better season this spring.

Fairly or unfairly, I judge any returning Player of the Year's play a little more harshly. To become a repeat winner of the award, you have to elevate your game to a higher level.
Kerns did that and then some this season. Game after game, Kerns mowed through lineups in the circle.

At the plate, she continued to drive in runs, reach base, and usually help her own cause in the circle.
She gave the Lady Cats a chance to win each time she took the mound and by looking at Sweetwater's record this year, they took advantage of that opportunity often.

I hope sports fans in this county enjoyed watching each of the three athletes listed above, as well as the rest of the all-county players and other athletes this spring.

They gave us inspiring performances, plenty of entertainment, and competed as hard as possible every game.

It made for the perfect ending to another great year in Monroe County sports.