by Ed Phillipps, Mount Airy News

Surry Central senior Whitney Joyner, front left, signed on with Surry Community College Monday. To Joyner’s left is SCC coach Amber Reid. Standing in back, from left, are Whitney’s parents, Sue and Donald Joyner.

Surry Community College softball coach Amber Reid has been tracking Surry Central catcher Whitney Joyner for a long time. On Monday, Reid finally got her woman when Joyner inked a letter of intent to play for the Knights.

Years ago, Reid was coach of the Mount Airy Middle School softball team. During that time, she first spotted Joyner, who played for Central Middle School.

“I remember saying she was one of the best catchers in that middle school conference,” Reid said. “That was the first time I saw her and I just watched her play here and there as the years had gone by and last year I had come out to watch a game at Surry Central ... and she was playing and just had a phenomenal game. “She still hadn’t lost anything since middle school.”

Joyner, a senior catcher, will join the Knights in the fall. She will also join East Surry grad Paige Honeycutt behind home plate to form a formidable catching tandem made up of home-grown talent.

Reid said playing time won’t be a problem for the two, considering the Knights will probably be playing about 50 games and both players can fill other positions on the diamond.

Having two catchers split time is a better way to go, Reid said, because with most games being double headers, a single catcher might wear out over the long grind of a season.

“I know she wants the ball in her hands, she wants to be out there,” Reid said of Joyner. “So if she’s not in that catcher’s role, she’s going to be somewhere. Her bat’s too valuable to not have her in the lineup somewhere.”

Before worrying about playing time at Surry, Joyner said she wants to concentrate on her final high school softball season. Signing early has its pros and cons, she said.

“I like knowing I’m going somewhere to keep playing softball,” Joyner said, “but I’m still really excited and I want to do really good and go out strong and not slack or anything because I know where I’m going.”

Joyner, who carries a 4.5 grade-point average, said she wants to be either a pediatrician or family doctor.

The signing of Joyner crossed the top two players off Reid’s wish list.

On Friday, West Forsyth righty Samantha Tarleton signed with the Knights. Reid said Tarleton will be in good hands with her batterymate.

“For a pitcher, it’s important who their catcher is,” Reid said. “(Tarleton) was really happy to know we were able to find somebody good to bring in.”

Monday was a busy day for Reid, who staged a tryout in the morning and raced over to Surry Central in the afternoon to sign Joyner.

A year ago, the Knights had the bare minimum nine players on their roster. Reid said interest in the Surry softball program has grown exponentially.

“(There has been) a big increase in the amount of e-mails and calls I’ve received this year about 2010 graduates,” she said. “Even as far as the Forsyth County area. You can tell the word’s getting out there. There’s a lot more interest and from a further distance.”