As our winter sports have concluded, the school’s spring athletics are about to kick off their seasons. Three sports are played during the spring here being baseball, track, and softball. The head coaches all had a little bit to say about their upcoming seasons!
Girls Track
The girls track head coach, Mr. Hill, is excited to see his veteran athletes return along with lots of new faces from the underclassmen. He is excited to see the types of relays that can be put together this year to face some good competition from the surrounding areas. Coach Hill says there is a lot of potential for this upcoming season as long as they keep progressing and getting better every day. To quote, “We hope to support all athletes in their track and field careers whether their aspirations are state qualifying or just getting a better PR.”
Boys Track
Coach Ingram, the boy’s head coach, has high aspirations for the growing team this year. He says there are no shortcuts to getting better this season. Sprinters (Denton Neely and Isaac Litwiller) are on track to do well this season in the sprint races. Ben Ragon was close to qualifying time last year so Coach Ingram expects him to reach the qualifying time in the 300m hurdles. Distance runners that will stick out this season include Ryan Kuhn, Lincoln Rassi, and Noah Burrell. All three return this season from a previous state qualifying 4×8 relay. In addition to these few, Christopher McCaleb and Zeke Whitehurst also return hoping to make a positive impact on the team with success of their own.
Baseball
Coach Stroud and Coach Davis are ecstatic for the upcoming season as there is set to be lots of returning varsity experience and talent. The focus for this season will be maximizing talent and effort while minimizing errors. Coach Stroud expects his athletes to bring their best to practice every single day to ensure they are getting better every single day. Seniors Lucas Holly, Shane Correll, and Chuck Hathaway are going to be key aspects of this year’s roster on the mound, infield, and in the lineup. The main focus this year is going to be on consistency. Coach Stroud expects consistent effort, positive attitudes, and energy to lead the team to compete in every game regardless of the opponent.
Softball
High school softball is about to begin with a new coach, new freshman, returning varsity members, and a whole new goal. Coach Uhlman has high expectations for the girls this season as he expects each and every player to be a leader on the field. With a roster of 19 girls, there will be competition for playing time which will only bring out the best in every girl. Regarding conference play, Coach Uhlamn knows the three keys to success on the field; good pitching, good defense, and timely hitting. “The girls know what our team motto is and they need to play and practice that way.” A lot will be demanded of the girls this season but they are ready for the challenge and the new experience.
Bass Fishing
As the bass fishing season begins, there is a lot to know! Dee-Mack bass fishing is starting and we talked to Cameron Opel to learn a little more about the sport. Cameron told us that the team competes against other teams to catch five fish with a total mass larger than the other teams. Each team is allowed to weigh five fish to obtain the largest mass and win the tournament. Practices are held at Brock Lake after schools on Mondays and Thursdays. These practice consist of The Bass fishing team’s conference tournament in April 25th with post season to follow.