Former Northview pitching great Barry Hightower, who also coached in the area on the high school and junior college level, passed away Wednesday night following a bout with esophagael cancer.

Hightower was a 1984 graduate of Northview and was drafted in the eighth round out of high school by the New York Mets. He played four years in the Mets’ organization and two more years in the San Diego Padres’ organization.

Hightower made his biggest impact coaching on the high level for 24 years, his first two being at Headland and later spent one year at Rehobeth in 2018. He spent the last six years at Mary G. Montgomery near Mobile. Other stops included 12 years at Opelika (2000-2011) and three at Jackson High School.

Wes Whitfield, now the baseball coach at Headland, was the catcher when Hight

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