The girls have been preparing diligently for their long-awaited County tournament.

The girls have an excellent shot at making it to County finals this year, which has not always been a possibility. With confidence from their strong season opener games, GHS faces Edinburgh in Round One today.

“We have been preparing for County by constantly talking about County and how we have a great shot of at least making it to the finals. We have been continuously practicing and playing to get out miscues that may arise during games. Our captains have really set the standard this year. They are more alive in the dugout, making sure that we are continuously talking to each and every play along with at bat,” Coach Sara Allison said. 

Part of their success has resulted from new players rising to the high school level. 

“We got a lot of great players from our freshman class, and we are able to utilize them in positions that we didn’t have filled. It also helps with those dropped balls that we had last year,” junior Gracelyn Bowles, right field, said. 

Along with new players, new leadership roles were assigned. Each class has an assigned captain that allows for effective communication and connection between each grade. The freshman class has Sydni DeCastro, sophomore class is Macie Smith, junior class is Gracelyn Bowles, and representing the senior class is Kinsley Clark. 

“As captains, we kind of just keep the girls in line, but we still have a good time. We try to keep the girls hyped, and I would say all the girls were close this year, and we have really, really good connections. Everybody knows each other,” DeCastro, left field, said. 

The team has been preparing with drills along with other approaches like team bonding, which has not been an annual routine.

“This year we are a whole lot better, and I think that we have a lot of team chemistry. There’s no fighting. We always go out to eat before games to help us get ready to play,” senior Zaire Gillis, left field, said. 

The key to success in the softball County game is the team’s mindset. Most players are feeling pretty confident going into the game. 

“I think our first game we have a pretty good shot at winning. We play Edinburgh and they’re on a lower skill level; I think that we will win and move on to Round Two of County. Going into County, we have basically just stuck to what drills we have been doing just because it’s been working,” Bowles said.