One of the greatest arms to be from the Commonwealth !

Verlander becomes 10th pitcher in MLB history with 3,500 strikeouts 👏 https://thescore.com/s/32028313

Justin has a little brother who could throw the ball as well and both attended Goochland High School 🏫.

The head Baseball ⚾️ Coach back then had quite the sense of humor in regards to just how much he had to do with the future career of the talented right hander.

Ben Verlander went from Goochland to Old Dominion University, making a stop ✋in the Valley Baseball League along the way. Ben spent five years in the Detroit Tigers 🐯 organization and currently works for Fox as an analyst.

Big Brother is still hard at it and just became the tenth pitcher in the history of Baseball ⚾️ to strike out 3,500 batters.

Not bad for a couple of Pitchers from a small school in Virginia !

The conversation with their Head Coach at Goochland High took place in the press box during coverage of a High School Football 🏈 playoff game between Goochland and one of our teams from the Northern Virginia Daily.

I would think that one has to have a sense of humor when you have coached on of the Greatest of All-Time.

When you first take a look see 👀 at the beautiful home 🏡 of the Lady 👩 Cavaliers Softball program, it is the trees just beyond the outfield fence that truly ties Cavalier Park together. They even make the banners pop, especially the five out in right centerfield that celebrate the run by the group that captured quite possibly the only Class 4 State Championship in the schools history.

We cannot rule out that the County could see a spike in enrollment that would return CCHS into Class 4 once again but for the time being, its a stand alone title.

Back to the trees 🌳 and the easy on the eyes 👀 appeal that they have. The story has it that other trees were planted around The Hill at the same time but didn’t take quite like the ones at Cavalier Park.

Inquiring minds would like to hear the explanation. Who gets the credit for planting the trees and then who kept them so perfectly maintained over the years ?

We know that Rick and Paul Nester have a History with Christmas 🎄 trees out in Laurel Fork, could that tie to the success?

Going back to the 1980’s when Nike first launched the Air Jordan shoes and Spike Lee was always saying, ” Mikey, it’s got to be the shoes, gotta be the shoes.”

At Cavalier Park, it has to be The Trees !

The day that Head Coach Rick Nester made me aware of Tiffanie Moore took place at her Carroll County High School Hall of Fame induction. Standing next to Principal Chuck Thompson, Moore was holding her plaque and it continued a nice photo 📷 of the former Lady Cavalier making a diving catch.

Fast Forward to understanding that a catch was actually ” The Catch “, one that came in the State Championship  versus Woodgrove with runners on base. If the ball doesn’t land in the glove of the tough as nails Senior, we are working on a different story all together.

Being fortunate enough to have spent an afternoon with both Tiffanie and her Father out at the family house out in Dugspur shortly after the Ceremony gave me insight into just how determined that Moore was and I imagine, will be for the rest of her life.

We will have plenty more about Moore and her catch as the story unfolds. One thing I need to do for sure is figure out who’s camera captured ” The Catch “.

If it took place on a Cavalier playing field there’s a good chance that Mr & Mrs Gallimore were in attendance ! Sure enough, Bill and Linda have been experiencing Lady 👩 Cavaliers Softball since the beginning of the Rick Nester era.

In a search for folks in the community that were along for the ride, asking Bill to turn back the clock ⏰ to reflect on what they remember seemed like a natural thing to do.

” Looking back, following the Carroll County High School softball team from 2013 to their unforgettable state championship win in 2015 was one of the most exciting experiences we’ve ever had as fans. It all started when our neighbor joined the team and we began attending games to show our support.

    Before long, our casual interest turned into real enthusiasm—we rarely missed a game. As the 2015 season unfolded, it became clear that this team was something special. With every win, the momentum grew, and so did the crowds. By the time the championship game arrived at Liberty University, the energy was electric, and the fan support was overwhelming.

    Witnessing Carroll County High School secure its first-ever state team championship was nothing short of amazing. The ride home from Lynchburg was filled with joy, pride, and celebration. Go Cavs Go!!!”

Bill & Linda Gallimore

Thank You Sir, for taking the time to jot down your thoughts 🙏 ➕ your unconditional support of Carroll County Softball.

  Mr Gallimore was also able to provide me with an update on one of the 15 players on the field back in Lynchburg. Sydney Childress is currently living in Alaska and teaching School up there. She might win the award for furthest removed from Carroll County…