Ritual for Pioneers Bus ride, warmups remain a
Katie Anderson / Observer-Reporter The West Greene varsity softball team boards Wednesday morning the bus that will take them to the state championship game at in State College at Penn State University’s softball field. The West Greene Lady Pioneers will take on Williams Valley at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Katie Anderson / Observer-Reporter A crowd gathers at the West Greene High School to cheer on the varsity softball team Wednesday morning as the Lady Pioneers boarded the bus to take them to the state championship game at in State College at Penn State University’s softball field. The team will take on Williams Valley at 10 a.m. Thursday.
If West Greene High School’s softball team wins the PIAA Class A title today, it might just be because of what happens on the bus ride to State College.
The Pioneers, who play Williams Valley at Penn State’s softball field 10 a.m., will follow the ritual that has preceded each bus ride this season.
Marissa Rode, a junior reserve player, and Savannah Pettit, a freshman outfielder, decide what music is played on the bus on the way to games.
“The biggest one is Marissa bringing a play list and a portable type of thing and she picks the songs,” said West Greene head coach Bill Simms. “They don’t listen to what the bus driver wants. We listen to what Marissa has laid out for us.”
Staying loose is an important part to a team that has only one senior and four freshmen starters.
“There is a lot singing and karaoking on the way up to a game,” Simms said. “It keeps them loose and ready to play. It’s stuff that I have to like. Whatever makes them happy, makes me happy. I’m more of a country guy but I’ve learned to do a little hip-hop with them.”
Pregame rituals for the Pioneers coaching staff has nothing to do with music.
“We have a few things we do the same way,” said Simms. “We take infield practice the same way and we try to warm up the same way. If there are batting cages, we do front toss, live-arm pitching. We have an outfield drill we do and we have an infield drill we do. We try to keep the same routine.”
There was one thing that happened that not only broke that routine, but put a scare into Simms.
“I was scared to death last game,” he said. “Our blue pants had not come in for the start of the season and we were told they didn’t know when they were coming in. We joked that they probably would get here for the state finals. They came a week and a half ago and the girls were chomping to get into them. For whatever reason, they wanted to wear them (against DuBois Central Catholic). I said, ‘You haven’t worn them all year and now you want to now. they did, but I think we’re going back to the black ones for the final.”
On the way to the state final, Williams Valley had a first-round game against GAMP, Girard Academic Music Program, a high school team in Philadelphia.
Williams Valley defeated GAMP 39-0 in a three-inning game. Williams Valley scored 22 first-inning runs, and GAMP did not record an out until the 18th batter. The two teams met in last year’s state playoff and Williams Valley won 15-0 in a game that hit the mercy rule requirements after the top of the third. GAMP made seven errors in this year’s game.
“It was a long trip for batting practice,” Williams Valley coach Lee Reiser told the Republican Herald of Pottsville after the game.
The Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters in Williams Valley lineup went 9-for-9 in the first inning alone.
This is most likely the final time all softball championship games will be played on the same day. The establishment of six classifications by the PIAA next season means that either two sites willl be needed or two days will be required.
It will also probably happen for basesball.
Four finals in softball will be played today, beginning with the 10 a.m. start for the game between West Greene and Williams Valley.