Lady Warriors begin summer work; look forward to big season

The start of the 2021 high school softball season is just around the corner and the White County Lady Warriors aren't wasting any time getting ready for the upcoming season.

With a roster full of returning players and a talented group of newcomers, hopes are running high around the softball complex.

The Georgia High School Association now allows softball programs to hold tryouts in the spring, so WCHS head coach Drew Owens and the squad hit the ground running when the summer program kicked off on June. The summer program consists of practice, strength and conditioning, summer games, and a team camp.

The Lady Warriors officially kick off the 2021 season Aug. 2, the first date the GHSA allows teams to conduct fall practice. The Lady Warriors open the season Aug. 5 with a game at Habersham Central. The home opener is Aug. 7 with Rabun County coming to Cleveland for a non-region doubleheader.

Last year, the covid pandemic caused all high school teams to have a very limited summer schedule, and Owens is thankful that things are back to a more normal schedule.

“It was tough,” Owens said. “There was so much uncertainty, so much unknown. We didn't know if we were going to have a season or not. We tried to prepare, but so much of it was out of our control. In my opinion, and the girls feel the same way, we underachieved last year, but we can't use that (Covid) as an excuse. This summer, the excitement is back. I don't know if I've ever been more excited about a group of kids than I am about this group. Things are back to normal. We don't have to wear masks, we don't have to have temperature checks. We're all excited to be back on the field.”

The Lady Warriors have a lot on their plate this summer, but Owens said the coaches and players are eager to get to the field every day and put in the work.

“I look forward to coming to the field for practice, and we've got about 25 girls that feel the same way,” Owens said. “The older girls and the younger girls; they just want to come out here, compete and get better. The summer is going to be packed. In June, there's going to be a lot of practice time. We'll be lifting in the weight room a lot in June and July, and then after that, we get on the field. We'll play four games later this month, then have three games at the FCA Camp in July.

Along with the workouts, practice and games, the team will take a trip to Rome in July for a team camp. The camp is more than just a chance to get better on the field.

“We'll also go to the Berry Camp again, where we'll play some really good teams,”  Owens said. “But the camp is also about team bonding; getting heads in the right place, making sure we are all on the same page. We want to have one goal when we leave there, because once the ball drops in August, it's going to be wide open. We'll start playing in August, and hopefully, our season won't end until late October with a trip to Columbus.”

Owens lost only two seniors off last year's state tournament team, which means a lot of talented players are still on the roster, including a key trio of seniors - Liana O'Kelly, Annika Vandiver, and Reagan Dunagan.

“As a coach, you always hope for good leadership from your older players,” Owens said. “I have three seniors that do that. They are level-headed and they really do a great job of leading our younger players. I have faith and trust in them. If the coaches couldn't be at practice, I would feel comfortable with the seniors running practice. They know what to do and understand our expectations.”

Owens said the summer work will give the him and the coaching staff plenty of time to figure out the lineup, and he hopes to have a healthy and prepared team come the first week of August.

“The biggest things for me as a coach this summer will be us staying healthy and getting the right players in the right spots,” Owens said. “Everything we do in practice is competitive; the girls are competing for playing time. We've always had some good players, but depth has been a problem. If one player got injured, that was a problem. If we can stay healthy, the team we put on the field this year is what we've been working for the last seven years.”