Dyer County's Ozment honored by First Citizens

Nearly a month after the Dyer County Choctaws earned their first ever state baseball championship in Murfreesboro, head coach Preston Ozment and his squad continue to receive much deserved recognition from supporters in the community.

"It's great how our community reaches out and acknowledges our kids and all their hard work they put forth this season," said Ozment. "It's an honor, I think First Citizens have been on our team for a long time, and anything we've needed help with over they years, they have been there for us."

On Wednesday, Ozment was presented with a custom wood bat from Cooperstown by First Citizens National Bank President Jeff Agee, commemorating the success the Newbern squad experienced on the diamond this season.

"We are giving this bat to coach Ozment and Dyer County because they are great assets to this community," said Agee. "Dyer County sometimes doesn't get the giving that they should, so we were real excited to help them out, not only with money but with recognition."

First Citizens has been long time supporters of both Dyersburg and Dyer County, and Agee plans to keep rewarding local athletes and coaches for their hard work and respective representation of the community in a positive manner.

"We are well aligned with both school systems, and we support every sector that they deal with," said Agee. "We are so proud of coach Ozment, and the state championship is very big for this county and Dyer County,"

Ozment believes that the recognition he has received over the past month motivates him and his squad to continue progressing as a program, and continue to represent the community in a positive manner.

"There is a lot of negativity in baseball, especially coming from the other side of the fence," said Ozment. "To have people show their appreciation of what you are doing really pushes you as a coach to make sure you are doing a good job and making the community proud as well."