Most Viewed Stories
2012 ALL-AREA SOFTBALL: Watt named Coach of the Year
Player of the Year
2012 — Ashten Welch, Marysville
2011 — Courtney Smith, River Valley
2010 — Jolene Graham, Sutter
2009 — Jessica Moore, Sutter
2008 — Jessica Moore, Sutter
2007 — Jessica Moore, Sutter
2006 — Kayla Ledford, East Nic
2005 — Erika Biggs, Wheatland
2004 — Stephanie Chapman, Sutter
2003 — Niesje Estrada, Biggs
2002 — Niesje Estrada, Biggs
2001 — Danika Dukes, East Nicolaus
2000 — Amber Landrum, Marysville
1999 — Amber Landrum, Marysville
1998 — Amber Landrum, Marysville
1997 — Laura Belza, Sutter
1996 — Jessie Brown, Marysville
1995 — Jackie Pope, Live Oak
1994 — Jackie Pope, Live Oak
1993 — Cheri Shinn, Lindhurst
1992 — Virginia Gowin, Yuba City
1991 — Amy Phillips, Yuba City
1990 — Anne Carpenter, Yuba City
1989 — Amy Day, Yuba City
1988 — Robyn Burgess, Yuba City
1987 — Robyn Burgess, Yuba City
1986 — Robyn Burgess, Yuba City
1985 — Robyn Burgess, Yuba City
1984 — Jessica Perry, Wheatland
1983 — Stephanie Bush, Yuba City
Coach of the Year
2012 — Randy Watt, Colusa
2011 — Jim Vossler, Wheatland
2010 — Bill Biggs, Lindhurst
2009 — Erin Walton, Live Oak
2008 — Richard Quick, East Nicolaus
2007 — Jim Vossler, Wheatland
2006 — Raoul Singh, Sutter
2005 — Jim Vossler, Wheatland
2004 — Gaylen Grubb, Sutter
2003 — Terry Williams, Biggs
2002 — Mike Greer, Biggs
2001 — Mike Wilhelm, East Nicolaus
2000 — Scott Landrum, Marysville
1999 — Sue Arostegui, Live Oak
1998 — Sue Kirby, Wheatland
1997 — Scott Landrum, Marysville
1996 — John Belza, Sutter
1995 — John Belza, Sutter/Ed Aberasturi, Marysville
1994 — Sue Arostegui, Live Oak
1993 — LeRoy McNellis, Lindhurst/Liz Green, Marysville
1992 — Sue Arostegui, Live Oak
1991 — Neil Stinson, Marysville
1990 — Rich McKray, Yuba City
1989 — LaVaughn Schohr, Biggs
1988 — Shirley Lienert, East Nicolaus
1987 — Rich McKray, Yuba City
1986 — Ruth Lowman, Sutter
1985 — Rich McKray, Yuba City
1984 — Kim Pitt, Yuba City
1983 — George Calkins, Yuba City
After 22 seasons of coaching softball at Colusa High, Randy Watt knew the 2012 season would be his last.
Colusa earned a playoff spot in five consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2011, but had yet to claim that elusive Northern Section Division V title.
On the cusp of retirement, Watt was putting the finishing touches on an astonishing blazed trail of coaching — more than 70 combined seasons in six different sports.
But only one of those have led him on a journey of tournaments, playing the best in the world and winning a national title.
"Softball is pretty much my passion," Watt said. "I have played for 40 years competitively, so yeah, it's a pretty big deal to me."
So in the top of the 12th inning during the Northern Section title game, Watt reminded himself to keep his cool.
"I have to try. If I get off center, that's when I start making coaching mistakes," he said.
There were no coaching mistakes in this one.
Colusa scored a run in the top half, set down Mt. Shasta in order in the bottom, and in his final season at the helm, Watt led the RedHawks to a 4-3 victory to capture the D-V section softball championship — the school's first.
"It was pretty cool," he said.
A fairy-tale ending for the A-D's 2012 All-Area Softball Coach of the Year.
Adding to the dramatics: A 1-0 victory in the semifinals (a pitcher's duel between Amanda Taylor and Sophia Garcia), the fact the team played with just nine players "some" of the time, and usually played with just ten, and that they won 9 out of their last 10 games to seal home-field advantage up until the title game.
"This was such a solid group," he said. "They were competitive hitters through the whole lineup, the defense was very solid and they all supported each other."
Colusa finished 17-6-1 this season, but don't ask Watt what his career record is, he doesn't know.
"I could probably take a guess, but it will be wrong," he laughed. "I thought that's the stuff you newspaper guys researched."
