In a matter of two days, Daphne junior Vic Moten collected two Player of the Year honors after she helped the Trojans to a Red Map trophy in their first state finals appearance in seven years.

On Thursday, the Alabama commit earned Class 7A Player of the Year distinction from the Alabama Sports Writers Association and on Friday, she was named the state winner of the Gatorade Softball Player of the Year. Moten marks the first Daphne High School representative to earn the Gatorade award.

Trojan head softball coach Jenny Laird got to help break the Friday news when she was with Moten and her summer travel team, Southern Steal, at the PGF Show Me The Money tournament in Newberry, Florida.

“We were actually playing a game, and my coaches did their after-game team meeting, and they said, ‘We've got one more announcement,’” Moten recounted Friday afternoon. “At first, it didn't really dawn on me. Then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘Wow I just won,’ and that's when the tears came.”

Moten was mobbed by her teammates who poured water on her, then shared a moment with her high school coach as well.

“I love that kid. I love all of our kids,” Laird said. “I think our coaching staff, all three of us, we really have a special connection with all of our kids so when you see them doing so well and everything kind of working out their way, it just makes your heart feel good. We cried tears of joy together earlier.”

History-making moment

After she had time to reflect, Moten acknowledged the moment she became Daphne’s first Gatorade Softball Player of the Year.

“It's a big honor. I'm really glad that I got the opportunity to come to Daphne and make history,” Moten said. “I only plan for it to go up from here.”

The award also considers the student-athletes’ impact off the field where Moten has been able to register a 3.46 weighted GPA while also volunteering with the Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club. However, she takes the most pride in teaching the next generation of Trojan softball players.

“In my free time I give lessons to little kids, and I feel like it's a big deal for me to be giving back to them because they are the future of Daphne and our program,” Moten said. “Pouring into them is a big deal to me because after I leave they're going to be the ones carrying the torch.”

“Video game stats”

Moten has provided a solid example to follow although the bar for performance has been set quite high.

Over 212.1 innings pitched this season for Daphne, Moten allowed only 61 hits and struck out 463 batters to help produce a 0.46 ERA with a 35-4 record in the pitcher’s circle. Not only that, but she also supplied 29 stolen bases and 15 home runs as part of 43 RBIs offensively with a .407 batting average.

“It's like video games stats,” Laird said. “She's averaging over two strikeouts per inning and we faced some really good teams, especially the performance that she put on at the state tournament. And the fact that she's having to do that in consecutive days; she just wanted the ball, she is a competitor. She wants to compete and she wants the game to be on her in that circle.”

Trojans returning with a chip on their shoulder

With a 45-6 overall record, the Trojans clinched their first state finals appearance since 2017 and returned with a state runner-up trophy. With still another year in Daphne’s purple and gold before joining the Crimson Tide, Moten plans a return trip to the state championship next season.

“I would say anything other than a Blue Map is a disappointment for us. It was the same feeling this year, we knew we could win a Blue Map but we just fell short,” Moten said. “Next year we're only going to build up and reboot and we'll come back two times stronger.”

Although Laird agreed there is a bad taste in their mouths from a state runner-up finish, she was also quick to recognize the accomplishment of simply reaching the last game of the season.

“It just leaves a bad taste in your mouth, makes you hungry. But number one, I hope they're proud of it. Because it's not an easy feat just to get there, especially when you drop your first game in another one-run game,” Laird said. “I think we're all going to come out and just kind of have a chip on our shoulder and know that we've got a little bit to prove.”

Moten makes her dream come true

The accomplishment had been on her radar for a long time and she was thankful to all those who helped her reach this point.

“It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid,” Moten said. “It really just shows a token of all my hard work that I've done throughout the years and I'm finally getting the recognition.”

With the addition of the ASWA honor, Moten joins five other Trojan athletes recognized with superlative awards according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.

Makenna Pierce was a two-time ASWA Class 6A Pitcher of the Year (2018 and 2017) and Sarah Sigrest won the same honor in 2008. Similarly, Peyton Grantham was a two-time ASWA Class 6A Hitter of the Year (2013 and 2011) where Aspyn Godwin (2016) and Kennedy Cronan (2018) also took home the same recognition.

More on the Gatorade POY program

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $4.9 million in grants to winners across more than 1,900 organizations.

Moten joins recent Alabama Gatorade Softball Players of the Year including Mya Holt (2022-23, Wetumpka), Larissa Preuitt (2021-22, Hartselle), Annabelle Widra (2020-21, Spain Park) and Shelby Lowe (2019-20, Pickens Academy) among the state’s list of former award winners.

Gatorade is in its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes for their excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Amanda Freed (1997-98, Pacifica High School, Calif.), Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress Springs High School, Texas), Rachel Garcia (2014-15 & 2012-13, Highland High School, Calif.) and Ava Brown (2022-23 & 2021-22, Lake Creek High School, Texas).

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls’ volleyball, boys’ and girls’ cross country, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, baseball, softball, and boys’ and girls’ track and field. One National Player of the Year in each sport is also awarded.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow along on social media @Gatorade.