The Clarke Central High School varsity softball team practices on Sept. 7 in preparation for their home game against Loganville High School at 5:30 p.m. Head varsity softball coach William Lance has been working with a younger team than he’s had in the past, but believes that the team’s inexperience will eventually work in their favor. “I truly believe that when (the 2022 varsity softball team’s) time is done at (CCHS), they have the potential to accomplish more than any other softball team has accomplished at (CCHS),” Lance said. “I’m trying to hold them to that standard and trying to make (that) potential (a) reality.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The varsity softball team will look to collect their second Region 8-AAAAA win of the season at home against Loganville High School on Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m.
Clarke Central High School varsity softball head coach William Lance entered the season hoping to achieve his goal of winning a Region 8-AAAAA game, but having achieved that in their third region game of the season, the team has to decide what comes next.
The Gladiators beat Heritage High School 7-2 on Aug. 23, marking their first region victory since 2018. However, head varsity softball coach William Lance isn’t resting on his laurels.
“I tried to talk to (the players) about ‘Okay, what’s next? Are we complacent with the fact that we hit the goal or do we want more?’” Lance said. “Obviously, the team and I want more, we want to make the playoffs, but it starts with more region wins. So the goal is to get back into the fight, get another region win and just (take it) one step at a time.”
Lance believes that the team reaching their season goal has had an adverse effect on their ensuing performances, with the Gladiators losing all three of their subsequent region games by a combined score of 3-37.
“When (we) hit the season goal and (we) hit it early, it was like, ‘Oh man, what are we gonna do here?’” Lance said. “That’s all we’ve been preaching, and now we got it and it’s like, ‘Okay, well, we need to get more.’ But we definitely were hungover after that win.”
The Gladiators will have their next chance to claim a second region win at home against Loganville High School on Sept. 8, a game that varsity softball pitcher Peyton Aubrey believes the team is ready for.
“Deep down, (we know that we) can do a lot more than what we have shown in previous games. Nobody believes that we can do that, so we just have to prove them wrong and show what we can actually do.”
— Peyton Aubrey,
varsity softball pitcher
“Deep down, (we know that we) can do a lot more than what we have shown in previous games,” Aubrey said. “Nobody believes that we can do that, so we just have to prove them wrong and show what we can actually do.”
Lance maintains tremendous respect for the LHS softball teams, but is looking for a different outcome against them after failing to beat them in any of their games since MaxPreps began tracking in 2012.
“They’re the gold standard. There’s nothing but respect and admiration for (their) program. They do it the right way. But, that’s what I want this program to be, and they’re in our way,” Lance said.
