Ashley Jackson heard the rumors of Northwest Shoals Community College possibly cutting its athletic programs.

However, the Athens High product didn’t think it would come so soon.

On Monday, Jackson, along with her teammates on the Lady Patriot basketball team, got the word from longtime coach Kristy Ward, that the college was suspending all athletic teams indefinitely, effective fall 2011.

Northwest Shoals, a two-year college, currently has baseball, men and women’s basketball, cheerleading, softball and volleyball.

“The room was silent for about five minutes after coach told us,” Jackson said. “ It made me a little upset because we had a really good group coming up.”

Jackson, who has played basketball since her younger days, had plans to play one more season before hanging up the sport. Now, instead, she’ll finish her course work at Shoals before transferring to UNA in fall 2012.

Meanwhile, for two Elkmont High seniors, the news of no more athletics brought instant tears.

Courtney Phillips and Brandi Gooch had recently signed scholarships to play softball at Northwest Shoals next season. Now, they’re left hoping to catch the eyes of other college coaches as scholarship deadlines are fast approaching.

“We had heard that other JUCO’s were cutting athletics, but never thought it would happen to us,” Phillips said. “ It’s just very devastating. That was one reason I went ahead and signed early was to get it out of the way so I could focus on my senior season. Now I’m left going back to square one.”

The two have been playing the sport together since they were little, and playing collegiate softball was something they wanted to do and still have hopes to do.

“We don’t want to have to go separate ways,” Phillips said. “We’ll just have to see where it goes.”

As of now, Phillips isn’t sure about her softball future, while Gooch said she had the option of trying out at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn.