CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Despite losing a 2020 senior class that amassed an eye-popping 93-19 record over three seasons, Clarksville High softball skipped an assumed “rebuilding year” and continues to assert its dominance at the top of District 10-AAA.
Clarksville High softball coach Brian Rush discussed how his current senior-laden group has been able to pick up where the class before them left off.
“We have been blessed with eight seniors who are not only good softball players, but are strong students with great character,” Rush said. “All of our seniors have over a 3.5 GPA, and that type of character provides great leadership. They are hyper-competitive and that just feeds on the rest of the team.”
Junior Emberly Nichols threw three perfect innings to earn the 20-0 win Tuesday at home against Northeast. Rush believes a strong commitment from his pitching staff has led to each player coming into their own in recent weeks.
“Our pitchers Emberly, Sydney (Weatherford) and Gracelyn (Woollen) all are striving to improve each and every time they step on the mound,” Rush said. “I think they are all continuing to grow and find their groove out there. Emberly got off to a strong start tonight and really did a good job of moving the ball and hitting her spots.”
Big hits from CHS
CHS tallied 20 runs on the night with 12 of them coming in the second inning alone. Two home runs in the frame, including a grand slam from Abby Chappell and a three-run homer by Weatherford opened up the flood gates.
Rush gave his thoughts on how his lineup has been able to thrive from top to bottom so far this season.
“Hitting is contagious,” Rush said. “There is no science behind that, but it is a fact. So far this season, our hits seem to come in bunches and they just feed off of each other. Erin (Lackey) is our leadoff, and when she hits it hard and gets on, it gets everyone going. Abby and Sydney both saw the ball well tonight and took advantage of balls left over the plate.”
Goal: getting better each game
According to Rush, the fast start his team has had out of the gates is a byproduct of their main goal as a group, which is to improve each and every game.
“Honestly, we don’t see ourselves as on a run,” Rush said. “We are just trying to get better every time we step on the field. It’s all about accountability, and the girls hold each other to a high standard just as the coaches do. The goal is to keep finding ways to get better and to keep pushing ourselves to a higher level of play.”
Four Lady Wildcat starters including Macy Brown, Weatherford, Lackey and Chappell are all multi-sport athletes. As the girl’s high school basketball coach himself, Rush described how playing more than one sport can help each player become even better on the diamond.
“In this era of specialization, I think players, parents and coaches have lost sight of all the advantages of being a multi-sport athlete,” Rush said. “The girls just love to and know how to compete. Playing multiple sports gives them more opportunities to compete, more opportunities to be better athletes, more opportunities to experience different roles in winning and just more opportunities to grow as competitors. The three seniors have been with me now for eight varsity seasons. It’s helped build a trust that goes both ways on the field.”
Clarksville (17-0-1) hosts Rossview Thursday, April 1, at 5:30 p.m. in a district contest.