We have a number of folks involved with the Lady Cavaliers Softball program that would be just as happy, if not more happy, to be cheering on a son at Bill Worrell Field across the Boulevard.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but know that you will still find Travis Leath and me at a softball game !

So, when Travis mentioned that he had tickets 🎟 to three games in Durham next month, I immediately thought about the number of times he went to a ball diamond 💎 for no other reason than to scout a future opponent for CCHS. Yes, here’s an opportunity to return the favor for the Man who happily shared his Kiddo ( Emma ) with us across her four years on The Hill.

Full disclosure, I could have mailed this one in because I have been watching softball at the park for the past nine years because it is the home park for Duke University Women’s Softball. We have only been playing the sport for nine years now.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League just expanded, going from having teams playing on one neutral field to having a handful of teams spread across the United States. I am pleasantly surprised that Duke University and the city of Durham made the cut ✂️ on such a short list.

The stadium is located on the East Campus, a few miles from Cameron Indoor and Wallace Wade 🏈🏈🏈. Every other sport except softball and Field hockey 🏑 play in a very tight area on the main campus. Logistics of the deal on the land is a part of the story that doesn’t fit here.

Love ❤️ the fact that marketing went with a regional name – Carolina Blaze! UNC and NC State are just a few miles from our campus, and while you are buying a ticket 🎟 from Duke, it helps that it is Carolina.

If your visit is designed to include Cameron Indoor and The Chapel, allow plenty of time ⏲️ to make the short drive 🚗 over.

Let’s talk 👄 tickets 🎟 and seats. The park has a very limited number of permanent seats 💺 and they sell for $32.00 each

Everyone else pays $22.00, and you are welcome to bring your own chair 💺 to sit in or just a blanket to plop down on.

Bringing it full circle 🔵, Travis Leath and I are cut ✂️ from the same cloth. It’s not about us. It’s about making a difference in the lives of others and we use our knowledge of the sport to do it !

Brother, enjoy my second favorite home softball park and know that us softball junkies need to stick together ❤️

PS – this Karlyn Pickens kid in the circle 🔵, she’s legit ! There is my scouting report…

Portland hit a 2-run bomb 💣 in the top of the third that quite possibly is still rolling !

Travis Osborne wants to go all Damdy Don Meredith, singing, ” Turn out the Lights” !

11-2 is your final score !

Temp remained the same, even after the sun 🌞 went down.

Above you see 👀 three of the last four efforts by Craig Worrell that are meant to capture just what it means to wear the colors of a Carroll County High School Lady Cavalier Softball jersey.

Craig does the same thing for our baseball ⚾️ program, and the lifelong resident of Carroll County is as respected as a person can be. His decades of providing positive coverage for so many people landed him in the Carroll County High School Hall of Fame !

Thank you to Mr Craig Worrell for his dedication to our program !

Yes, Natalie Burress is Daddys Girl 👧 but don’t think for a second that Mom isn’t a serious player in this equation !

Myranda was having trouble finding a way to just send in one or two pics of Natalie, so we have eight ! That is the beautiful thing about having an advertising free blog, there’s no need to limit your content due to having to please others.

Natalie loves ❤️ her sport and wants to be coached up, which is what we call a ” dream.”

Her role next season will have to move up a notch because it will be her turn to lead in addition to playing her part. We are going from a Senior Class of 6 to a much smaller number, and leadership will be a KEY 🔑 ingredient in 2026-2027

I will be creating these capsules until I have exhausted my options. If you are reading this and haven’t seen one for your favorite Lady Cavalier, just send me a picture or two. Or in the case of Myranda Burress, maybe 8.

Always smiling 😃!!!

Every parent hopes / prays that their Kiddo can make it through High School without needing the services of our beloved Nathan Jones, let alone a surgical procedure.

Our Faith Clontz, the one with the “I enjoy life” smile, pictured above, was not as fortunate as most.

Grandma 👵 was her biggest fan, and not having her energy on the roster has been a setback for the program. Not once, but twice, Miss Clontz required surgery on her shoulder.

Gone, but not forgotten !

Hopefully, the shoulder will heal up correctly this time, and Faith will be pain-free going forward.

Brad (Left) and Dan stopped ✋️ by again to help me with a problem out at our place. Huey Lewis and his song 🎵 Small World 🌎

Small World
https://share.google/oqsJwqXN7Ojis9Nqt

It turns out that Dan’s last name is Puckett, and he used to play Ball with Rick Nester and knows Paul Nester fairly well.

See, Paul and one of his grandsons, Landon Phillips, just completed some outdoor work for one of our neighbors. Brenda is in my cellphone as Nice Lady in Unit A, and it’s been fun to watch her interact with Paul over the past few weeks.

Dan is connected to Ted, and it’s Ted’s job to keep all the rest of us out of trouble out here. Ted is a wise soul and a huge part of Olde Mill !

Back to Dan and his last name. I am currently working on a proposal that I hope to present to the powers to be at the High School in hopes of improving the chances for our Soccer ⚽️ programs.

Three years of sinking a great deal of time and energy into both Forrest Johnson and Adrienne Harris McGuire, which also includes Jeremy Puckett and Brittany Kinney, has led to a typed out set of recommendations. While it be put into place, maybe or maybe not, but I feel better for trying hard !

Just like when I asked for a sign before launching the efforts of the High Jump area and the very next day, Brenden Fariss qualified for State in that event.

Fast forward to today, and I am sitting here deciding on whether to push my thoughts forward on Carroll County High School 🏫 Soccer. There’s a knock on my door 🚪and the incredibly kind soul stopping by for the third time ( the first time I was home) to touch up on some work he’s doing, turns out to be the Father of one of the people that I’m trying hard to help !

If you don’t believe in God, we can chalk it up to Bill Engvall, saying, ” Here’s your sign.”

If you do believe, Asked & Answered !!!