Photos by Amanda Hall
The Lavaca Lady Arrows played Melbourne High school in todays first round of the 2A State playoffs. Lavaca fell on the short side of the score board today but had a great season with much to be proud of. They went 18-8 overall this year. They ended the year as District runner-up and 2A-West Regional runner-up. Collectively, they batted .346 with a whopping .445 on base percentage. Four of nine starters hit home runs this year and the team had 92 stolen bases. So, there is a lot of good stuff to build on with this team.
This Lady Arrow team will be saying goodbye to 4 outstanding leaders and student athletes in Brooklyn O’Kelley, Morgan Taylor, Shelby Kelley, and BethAnn May. These losses are never easy, but for these seniors it hits extra hard. If there is any consolation that I can offer, it is simply that they have built a program in Lavaca that they can take pride in. They have shown that hard work, dedication and perseverance it takes to build a championship team. As this legacy is passed from this class to the next you can bet that the Lady Arrows will again be right in the thick of thing next year and for years to come. The Lady Arrows will return 6 starter next year in Coach Vire’s second year at Lavaca. I have no doubt they are ready and able to carry the torch.
Coach Vire was obviously disappointed about the loss, but his focus in post game remarks was the girls on his team. These are his thoughts about the season, his seniors, and the future, “It’s always hard to try to figure out what to say after your season comes to an end. I am proud of the season we had, the girls got along with each other, we didn’t have any drama they were a joy to be around every day. We had the opportunity to play for a district and a regional championship and qualify for the state tournament which were goals of ours. I am glad that I was able to be their coach this year. It’s been a fun season, I love all these girls. We do have some key pieces coming back that we can build on but we also have some big shoes to fill. Brooklynn O’Kelley played a great first base for us, she didn’t let much get past her she made big plays for us all year long. Morgan Taylor and Shelby Kelley brought speed to the base paths. Then there is BethAnn, she was warrior for us in the circle all season. She did everything she could for us night in and night out to put us in position to win each and every game. All four of these young ladies will be greatly missed but can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”
