By JOSH EZZELL

Those in the area who follow high school sports have known that there are some quality teams.

Riverdale won the Class AAA state title, and Anne Marie Lanning became the first Miss Basketball winner in Murfreesboro history.

Led by University of Tennessee commitment Cat Hosfield, the Lady Warrior softball team got off to a 32-3-1 record entering Saturday. Hosfield had a 25-2 record and a 0.14 ERA entering Friday.

Oakland's baseball team, which has three Division I signees — P.J. Polk, Tennessee; Tyler Burnett, MTSU; and Marcus Barnes, Memphis — had a 27-1 record entering Saturday.

It seems these credentials have gotten the attention of the sports community nationwide.
The Patriot baseball team is No. 11 in the latest USA Today poll. The Lady Warrior softball team is No. 16 in the StudentSportsSoftball.com poll. The Lady Warrior basketball squad is No. 36 in the StudentSportsBasketball.com poll.

For Oakland getting national attention is nothing new. In 1999 the Patriots were ranked ninth in the Baseball America Poll, 11th in the USA Today poll and 17th in the Collegiate Baseball Poll. In 2000 the Patriots placed sixth in the Baseball American poll and Fix Sports poll, seventh in the
USA Today poll and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball poll. The Patriots are flattered to be mentioned but aren't getting too caught up in the hype.

"It's nice, but we're in a tough district," said Oakland coach Mack Hawks, whose Oakland squads won the state title in 1999 and 2000. "What matters is how you do at the end of the year."

Riverdale, conversely, isn't used to the national attention. The softball program is excited and relishes the attention.

"We're so excited," said Hosfield, a junior who recently struck out 22 against defending Class AA state champion Goodpasture. "To see us up there with all these California teams is exciting. I can't explain it."

Hosfield, however, knows being ranked doesn't mean the competition will roll over and play dead.
"We've got to work extra hard," Hosfield said.

Anyone who's watched Riverdale's softball and basketball teams and Oakland's baseball squad knows the honors are well-deserved.

The Lady Warrior basketball team had a big-time player in Lanning who refused to let her squad lose. It'll be a treat to see her in a Lady Raider uniform next season.

Riverdale's softball team will be almost impossible to beat with Hosfield — she was invited to the U.S. Junior National Tryouts over the summer — on the mound.

Besides the three Division I signees, Oakland has a big bat in first baseman Tennyson Dodd and a solid pitcher in Brett Wilson.

It's pretty cool to see these athletes get national attention. Dodd and Burnett were mentioned in USA Today, while there's a picture of Hosfield on StudentSportsSoftball.com.

Those who haven't seen the Oakland baseball and Riverdale softball teams play need to attend their games soon. You'll be in for a treat. You'll also leave the ballpark agreeing that these teams are the real deal.