The 2025 baseball season that ended on Friday marked the end of an era as Bearcat head coach Arron Kimes will be stepping away from the program after six years.
The move was at the request of Kimes, who will retain his football coaching duty of defensive coordinator for the Bearcats is the father of two girls, the oldest of which will be moving into junior high.
Kimes took over the program in the COVID shortened 2020 season, compiling a 92-41 record (.692) and guiding the Bearcats to the state tournament five straight years, including the 2024 team that won a regular season conference, district tournament, and regional title.
Kimes’ departure sparked a chain reaction of moves that were approved by the Booneville School Board on Tuesday night.
Assistant coach Jake Fennell will take over as the head coach. Fennell moved from softball to baseball when Kimes took over as head coach and has been Kimes’ only assistant.
Fennell, a 2010 Booneville graduate, played three years of baseball as a Bearcat.
“First off I loved working with Kimes. I am sad to not work with him any more” said Fennell. “But it's something I’ve been pushing for. You know when you go into coaching and decide you’re going to do it everybody has kind of got what they want to do in mind.
“Being the head coach here is what I had in mind. It’s exciting to get that opportunity. I’ve known this was something that could be coming up.”
A lot of people could have the misconception that Fennell was already the head coach has he handled the third base coach box in the aftermath of a foot injury Kimes had sustained and Kimes just left him there.
“Baseball wise we were really similar what we wanted to do,” said Fennell. “Small ball minds, old school,” said Fennell. “When you’re in your game and you can afford to give up outs it puts a lot of pressure on the defense which we’ve seen.”
Next season’s conference games are pretty much set, Fennell said, but he will need to create the rest of the schedule.
Fennell is tasked with replacing three seniors, two of which are Jace Washburn and Dylan Todd, who accounted for about two-thirds of the innings pitched.
The move does not change Fennell’s duties as the head coach of the boys and girls golf teams.
Fennell’s vacated position will be filled by Caden Cook, who, like Fennell did in 2020, is sliding from softball to baseball.
That is not the only common link.
Pitching and playing both corners on the infield Cook was a two time All State player at Scranton in high school despite being having COVID disrupt his senior season in 2020.
Cook also teaches economics and civics at BHS and coaches seventh grade and senior high girls basketball.
With Cook leaving the softball dugout, Morgan Johnson becomes the Lady Bearcat assistant to Chad Simpson.
Johnson is not exactly new as she was a volunteer assistant for the Lady Bearcats this season.
Johnson is a 2018 Paris alum who was a utility player as a senior covering the middle infield, third base, and outfield spots.
Besides coaching softball Johnson is also a kindergarten teacher at Booneville Elementary.
