Future looks bright for Wellsboro softball.
By: Brian Fees | Towanda Daily Review | May 8, 2012 | Photo courtesy Brian Fees
2012 NTL and District 4 News
It's been a successful season for the Wellsboro Green Hornets. They are tied for the NTL West lead and have suffered just three losses on the year. As good as this year has been, the Green Hornets know the future might be even better.
After all this group is young, very young. Seven of the nine starters in the lineup are either freshmen or sophomores.
"It's hard, we have to work a lot," Brooke Kohler said.
While they are younger than pretty much every team they go up against, that doesn't mean this group doesn't have a lot of experience.
"We have been playing together a long time," Maggie Smith said.
"Travel ball helps us a lot," Kohler said. "It helps us bond more as a team."
And, all that time together makes things easier when the team is on the field together.
"We know how each other play," Smith said.
While all that time in travel ball helps, there are still some big challenges once the high school season begins.
"We are used to playing kids our own age," Paige Carr said. "It's different now when you are playing kids who are 17 and 18."
"It's a lot different," Baylea Lehman said. "We just have to give our all and work hard."
While this group has had success playing travel ball, it's playing for Wellsboro that is most special to them.
"We want to make a name for ourselves at our school," Kohler said.
"It means so much more when it's for your school," Smith said.
And, this group has some pretty lofty goals for the next few years.
"We want to be district champions," Carr said.
"We want to be district champs and we want to win the NTL every year we can," Kohler said.
One of the things that excites this group is that there are not only seven freshman and sophomores on the team, but also another strong group coming up next year.
They know that there is going to be competition for every spot on the team and that just pushes them even more.
"You have to play hard, there are other people pushing you," Kohler said.
"You have to come to each game and give it your all," Jordan Butters said.
"You know if you have a bad day, someone else is going to step up," Smith said.
This is a group that doesn't rely on just one big bat, so everyone knows they have to play well.
"We really rely on each other," Butters said.
"We know that we all can hit and we trust the next person in line will hit to," Kohler said.
One challenge this year for the Green Hornets is facing all the teams in the East, and the young Wellsboro team knows that will just make them better.
"It's harder when you play the better teams," Lehman said.
"We know there are good teams in the East," Kohler said. "It just makes us better playing them."
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