It was fitting that Charles Henderson High School and Ariton High School played in the opener of the 2025 Terry Sikes Memorial Baseball Tournament. 

Along with continuing to honor the legacy of former Charles Henderson great Terry Sikes the schools paid tribute to the late Taylor Polk, who passed away in February. 

“Coach Polk and I go way back,” Charles Henderson coach Chase Smartt said. “We were really close. We went to (Troy University) together and we went further back than that. He grew up in Demopolis and I grew up in Livingston, we were right there together and knew each other back in the day since we were little kids.” 

While Smartt played baseball at Troy, Polk was on the Troy football team. Polk also started his coaching career at Charles Henderson on the staff there with Smartt. Polk went on to serve as an assistant coach at Ariton for the past several years. So, Smartt said honoring Polk during this game just seemed right. Polk’s wife and child also threw out the first pitch prior to the game.

“I just knew it was the right thing to do,” he said. “Coach Polk started his coaching and teaching career at Charles Henderson and played at Troy and he obviously had been coaching at Ariton. It was just a perfect time to do it to honor Coach Polk, his wife Katie, his son Judge and the entire Polk family from top to bottom. The Sikes family were also all for it. It was a great time to do it, especially against Ariton. Ariton is such a great community and they are all so much stronger together now with everything that’s happened.” 

Ariton coach Bob Pickett said it meant a lot to the team and to the Polk family.

“It really shows what kind of coach he was, what kind of person he was and the people he impacted for years,” Pickett said. “It was special. I really thank Mrs. Jennifer Sikes and Charles Henderson for doing that. It meant a lot to Katie (Knox), too. She’s dealing with an extremely hard time herself.” 

Smartt went on to talk about the character of Polk. 

“Knowing Polk very well he wanted us to play baseball together,” he said. “Everyone loved Coach Polk in the dugout and outside the dugout. He was one of a kind. I think everyone else would tell you the same thing.” 

Pickett said words couldn’t describe the type of person and coach Polk was to he and the Ariton community.

“He would do anything you asked him to do,” said Pickett. “He was the perfect assistant coach, there was no job that was ever beneath him. He was always for the team first. People can feel genuine and the players knew that he loved them, whether it was the football field, basketball court or baseball field.

“The coaches knew it, too. We knew we loved each other. I was glad I got to tell him that I loved him before he went into surgery. We would get up every morning and walk four or five miles together before school. You really get to know someone when you spend so much time with them.”

A number of other schools have paid tribute to the loss of Polk, including Zion Chapel putting his initials on their batting helmets.

“Baseball is kind of a small fraternity,” said Pickett. “Coaches understand when you’re with guys this much it’s like a family. They understand that loss that everyone feels. It lets people know that they care.

“Zion Chapel has done something fo run, Washington County has done something and Headland has. We’re not looking for anyone to give us or anything every time we play, that’s not what it’s about but it just shows the baseball community feels it when we lose one of us.” 

The Ariton Purple Cats (8-0) went on to continue their undefeated play to start this season with a 9-6 win over the Trojans (6-6). The Cats scored six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory. 

Easton Kilpatrick led Ariton at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, one double and one run, while Wells Ganey hit a home run and scored three runs. Bradie Lowery also went 2-for-3 with two runs. Conner Davidson also earned two hits, scored one run and stole three bases. 

Brodie Lowery pitched three and 2/3 innings and struck out four batters, while giving up five hits and one earned run. Austin Evans also struck out five batters along with giving up two hits and no earned runs in two and 1/3 innings of work on the mound. 

For Charles Henderson, Ben Cochran went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. Will Watkins, Trenton Bryan, Kellen Stewart and Owen Pugh scored one run each. Dylan Westberg pitched three innings and fanned three batters along with giving up five hits and two earned runs. Blake Lowery struck out one batter and gave up two hits and one earned run in one and 2/3 innings pitched. Stewart tallied seven putouts on defense. 

The Terry Sikes Tournament will continue on Wednesday as Cintronelle plays Montgomery Catholic at 1:30, Straughn plays Montgomery Catholic at 4 and Cintronelle plays Charles Henderson at 6:30 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field on the campus of Troy University. 

On Thursday, Oak Mountain plays Wicksburg at 1:30, Enterprise plays Homewood at 4 and Enterprise plays Shelby County at 6:45 p.m. at Riddle-Pace Field. Bibb County plays Cintronelle at 1:30, Ariton plays Bibb County at 4 and Wicksburg plays Etowah at 6:45 p.m. at Charles Henderson High School. Robertsdale also plays Oneonta at 4 and Robertsdale plays Pike Liberal Arts School 6:45 p.m. with both of those games being played at Butch Austin Field on the campus of Pike Lib. 

On Friday, Riddle-Pace Field will host Bibb County vs. Oak Mountain at 9 a.m., Bibb County vs. Robertsdale at 11:30 a.m., Etowah vs. Robertsdale at 2 p.m., Etowah vs. Pike Lib at 4:30 p.m. and Charles Henderson vs. Eneonta at 7 p.m. Also, Oak Mountain will play Homewood at 2, TR Miller will face Homewood at 4:30 and TR Miller will play Montgomery-Catholic at 7 p.m. at CHHS. Butch Austin Field will also host Tuscaloosa Academy at 2, Shelby County vs. Wicskburg at 4:30 and Tuscaloosa Academy vs. Westbrook Christian at 6:45 p.m. 

The final day of play will see a host of games at both Troy University and CHHS on March 8. At Riddle-Pace Field, Homewood plays Tuscaloosa Academy at 9 a.m., Westbrook Christian plays TR Miller at 11:30 a.m., Chilton County plays Vincent at 4:30 p.m. and Chilton County plays Ariton at 6:45 p.m. CHHS will host Etowah vs. Oak Mountain at 9 a.m., Enterprise vs. Oneonta at 11:30 a.m. and Straughn battles Enterprise at 2 p.m.