SPORTS TALK
With Michael Betteridge
Go Make A Difference!
Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer. Schools let out for summer break. Pools open. Carnivals begin. High school sports end a journey that began back in September and culminates in a whirlwind of playoffs and state championships. It also marks the passing of the baton from our high school seniors to the underclassmen, to carry on the school sports legacy.
Our seniors worked so hard for many years making many sacrifices simply for the joy of the competition and the camaraderie of the team. And, sometimes, when it ends, it’s not always what we expected. High school sports is a roller coaster of emotions—highs and lows…ups and downs…cheers and tears.
Our amazing Lady Cougars softball team began this year way back in late March. Twenty-four games later, they were standing in a college softball stadium, playing for the 17th time in their history for a Maryland State high school softball championship. Even more impressive, they were back in the championship for the second time in three years with a 24-2 record. They were riding a 15-game winning streak and had outscored their opponents in the playoffs 26-1.
As we set up for the game at College Park, I looked up to see a smiling Meghan Gray, walking towards us. She looked really good. She had a certain swagger that could only come from a “college girl.” And, to make it even better, her Lady Cougars were about to play on her turf at her school: the University of Maryland. Meghan knew that were it not for a knee injury to their star pitcher last year, she probably would have ended her high school softball career right here, too. Meghan graduated from Catoctin last year. After four years as catcher for the Cougars, she went on to play for the University of Maryland softball team this season. When her team arrived, it was an amazing reunion of “softball sisters” that took place right before our very eyes.
I saw Coach Amy, Catoctin’s basketball coach, who coached many of these softball players during the basketball season, walk by and we had a chance to chat. With tears in her eyes, Coach Amy told me these girls deserve to be here. Not because they are great athletes. They are. “But because they are the best young ladies I have ever known.”
The game went exactly as predicted. Taylor Smith was hurling pitches at their opponents. Her fastball slammed into catcher Charley Keilholz’ glove so hard every so often, Charley would have to take the glove off and shake her hand to get the feeling back. The University of Virginia-bound phenom Taylor Smith delivered a rise ball that was unhittable. She struck out batter after batter, and the only batter that didn’t strike out bunted to her for the out. For the first four innings, Taylor was the Cougars defense. The infield and outfield were used to being bored with Taylor in the circle.
But then, their opponent, Mardela, changed their tactics. They began to bunt player after player, over and over again. They scratched and clawed back into the game, playing what the coaches call small ball. All of a sudden, Catoctin’s infield was a flurry of tension. Small mistakes were made. Crucial plays were missed by a hair. And by the 7th inning, the last one of the game, they found themselves tied at 3 to 3. Mardela had the last bat, and it came down to one simple realization: If they score, they win. If they don’t, we play on. Remember I mentioned a roller coaster earlier? Our hearts were in our throats. With runners on first and second and one out, the Mardela player hit a towering shot into right field. With the sun in her eyes, the Catoctin right fielder tried to adjust, but the ball popped out of the top of her glove, and in stunned disbelief, we all gasped at the realization that for the second time in three years, Catoctin had lost a championship by one run in the late innings.
It’s hard to accept, but our Lady Cougars weren’t the only young ladies who deserved to be there. High school sports are a life lesson. If you work hard and you give your best, no matter what happens on the field, you will make a difference.
I want to finish by honoring the Catoctin High School spring sports seniors, as I have done at the end of the three “seasons” in the high school sports calendar in this column. I do this because they deserve it, and because a couple of years ago, I ran into a former Catoctin athlete and he shared something with me. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a thumb drive, and told me that he had a compilation of all the great plays he made from our archived broadcasts. He put them on this tiny storage device, and when he was feeling low, he would plug it into his laptop and listen and remember how it felt to be a winner.
Here are our spring sports Catoctin High school winners: Abagayle Shives, Madison Ohler, Taylor Smith, Mackenzie Lewis, Aubrie Courtney, Bryont Green, Jake Bell, Brady Koenig, Keiten Castellow, Peyton Myers, Tommy Lee, Daniel Martin, Lillian Holden, Elliana Mucker, Richelle Zhang, Hunter Bradshaw, Jonas Clausen, Brady Davis, Darrin Frey, Ashton Merritt, Katelyn Bell, Nora Dugan, Kylie Foster, Morgan Gregory, Karlie Hood, Lauren Kelly, Alayna Kelly, Alexandra Potter, Rebekah Zentz, Deacon MacIlvaine, Ethan Robeson, Gavin Scheetz, Shaymus Stull, Gabriel Torrado, and Brady Wehage.
Thanks for the cheers and tears…now Go Make a Difference!
