With winter blues almost gone and the scent of fresh cut grass and fresh dirt buried in the nostrils, it could only mean one thing -spring sports. Yes, break out the cleats and sunflower seeds, oil up the glove and get a crew cut (baseball only), baseball and softball will soon be getting underway in Clay County.
Also, track will open with their first meet at Laidley Field. Hotdogs will be bubbling in the pot and smack talk echoing through the dugouts. The Panthers will be under the command of Head Coach Brian Holcomb this season and will take to the diamond on the road for the first three games this season. It looks as if the Panthers will be loaded this year with some good arms to bring the heat from the hill. They will definitely have some speed for the bases and some big gloves in the field. It looks like all opportunity is there for a great season.
The Lady Panther softball team will also start their season on the road for their first two games. Jason Nichols will be the head coach this year and will also have some pitchers who have been working in the off season to fine tune their game. Some that played last year will not return to the field, and their shoes will have to be filled. It will be interesting to see how this season plays out for the Lady Panthers, it should be an exciting one. The Panther track team will be at Laidley Field in Charleston to open the season. Matt Stricker returns as head coach and it looks like he will have a stacked team this year to compete in the different events. There are some 25 -35 students who are vying for the different spots and among them is Trevor Armes who could run a deer to exhaustion. The Panthers will be able to compete this year with the big dogs of track and field, let’s support them as they do. CCMS will also bring back their powerhouse baseball and softball teams and will get started cracking bats next week and the week after. The Mustang baseball team under coach Frank Kleman is coming off a fantastic season from last year as is the Lady Mustang softball team under coach Gina Thomas; both the teams are loaded with talent and ready to prove it. Spring is in the air, and sports will soon be in full swing. Get out and enjoy it!
