2020 SENIORS
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
CLAYTON GOODELL, GAVIN CARVER, AIDAN BANNISTER, JAKE MILLER, RYAN LAUTS, KALEB GARDNER, RHETT MAY
LETTERS FROM THE COACHES
FROM COACH STOLL
DEAR 2020 SENIORS,
WELL, THIS IS A FIRST FOR US AS COACHES. WRITING A MESSAGE TO A SENIOR CLASS THAT DIDN’T EVEN GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY A GAME AS SENIORS. MAKING THOSE PHONE CALLS TO YOU ON MARCH 17TH WAS ABOUT AS HARD A PHONE CALL THAT I HAVE HAD TO MAKE AS A HEAD COACH. I AM NOT SURE I WILL REALLY EVER GET OVER IT! YOU ALL WORKED YOUR BUTTS OFF TO BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE A RUN AT A TITLE, BUT WHAT YOU DID IS YOU SHOWED THE UNDERCLASSMAN HOW TO WORK AND PREPARE. I HOPE YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND MISS SEEING YOU ON THE FIELD. WE ARE ONE PHONE CALL AWAY!
CLAYTON– TO SAY WE HAD A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP IS WELL…..PUTTING IT MILDLY! THROUGH ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW YOU GOT SOMEONE THAT HAS YOUR BACK AND WILL BE THERE FOR YOU. ONE THING YOU KNOW IS THAT YOU CAN TAKE A BUTT CHEWING AND NOT EVEN FLINCH…. ☺
GAVIN– STILL DISAPPOINTED YOU CUT YOUR HAIR, BUT I HAVE A SLOW-MOTION VIDEO OF YOUR FLOW AS YOU ROUND SECOND BASE AND IT WILL BE ON MY PHONE FOREVER! RESPECT YOU AND HOW GOOD OF A TEAMMATE YOU ARE!
AIDAN– AS WE DISCUSSED OVER THE PHONE, WE HAVE BECOME CLOSER OVER THE PAST YEAR. I AM GLAD YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE EARNED THE RESPECT OF THE COACHES BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU INDEED HAVE!! YOU ARE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF “WORKING WHILE YOU WAIT”. YOU SHOWED UP EVERY DAY, WORKED DILIGENTLY AT YOUR GAME LAST YEAR AS YOU BACKED UP AN ALL-STATE PLAYER. IT WAS YOUR TURN AND YOU PROVED THAT YOU WERE READY! PROUD OF YOUR ATTITUDE AND WORK ETHIC. SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU EXCEL AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AT BAKER.
JAKE– MILLER TIME! I WASN’T TOO SURE ABOUT YOUR PLACE IN THE PROGRAM UNTIL I SAT BEHIND HOME PLATE AND WATCHED YOU PITCH. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO COACH GREEN AND SAID, “WE GOTTA GET THIS KID ON THE MOUND”. NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE DAMN GOOD STUFF, BUT YOUR COMPETITIVE FIRE AND SUPREME CONFIDENCE IS UNMATCHED. YOUR TOUGHNESS AND COMPOSURE ARE SOMETHING OF A TRUE CHESTY LION! BEST OF LUCK PLAYING FOR MY BOY COACH MORGAN AT NE TEXAS.
RYAN– ALL YOU HAVE EVER KNOWN IS TO BE A CHESTY LION! IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO YOU AND YOU ARE A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR OUR PROGRAM. THE IMPROVEMENT AND PREPARATION FOR YOUR SENIOR YEAR HAS BEEN REMARKABLE. YOU SHOWED UP TO TRYOUTS IN FANTASTIC SHAPE AND WERE READY TO DO DAMAGE AT AND BEHIND THE PLATE. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER AFTER WE LOST IN THE REGIONAL FINAL, YOU ARE ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES PICKING UP TRASH IN THE VISITOR’S DUGOUT LONG AFTER EVERYONE LEFT. WHAT A FANTASTIC LEADER WITH AN INCREDIBLE TALENT FOR FACIAL HAIR. BEST OF LUCK PLAYING FOR ANOTHER CHESTY LION AT FT SCOTT!
KALEB– I DON’T THINK I HEARD YOU SAY A WORD FOR 2 YEARS! I LOVE THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS UPBEAT AND POSITIVE. I REMEMBER WHEN WE CALLED YOU UP TO VARSITY LAST YEAR, THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE! PRICELESS. YOU LIKE SEVERAL OF THESE SENIORS HAD DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF PUTTING YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO WIN A STARTING JOB ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE STATE OF KANSAS!
RHETT- YOU TOO HAVE HAD THE RED AND BLACK RUNNING THROUGH YOUR VEINS! I KNOW THIS, THE LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT OVER THAT PAST TWO YEARS IN YOUR GAME IS ABOUT OF IMPRESSIVE AS I HAVE SEEN. YOU WERE IN A POSITION TO WIN A STARTING JOB. I KNOW WE GAVE YOU NEWS THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE SEVERAL TIMES IN YOUR CAREER AS A CHESTY…. BUT YOU NEVER POUTED. YOU NEVER SHOWED BAD BODY LANGUAGE. YOU TOOK THAT INFO AND LET IT FUEL YOUR FIRE TO WORK YOUR BUTT OFF. PROUD OF YOUR RESOLVE AND GRIT. I WILL FOREVER HAVE THE IMAGE OF YOU SITTING IN FULL UNIFORM THE NIGHT THAT OUR SEASON WAS CANCELLED……. BROKE MY HEART. BEST OF LUCK AT TABOR MY MAN.
LOVE YOU ALL AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BURNED A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOREVER!
YOUR FRIEND,
COACH STOLL
FROM COACH GREEN
DEAR SENIORS:
TO SAY THAT WE ARE SORRY OUR 2020 BASEBALL SEASON DIDN'T HAPPEN, DOESN'T DO OUR SENIOR CLASS JUSTICE. YOU HAVE WORKED AND SACRIFICED FOR THIS MOMENT AND IT IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING NOT TO GET TO LAY YOUR CARDS ON THE TABLE. MY ADVICE TO ALL OF YOU IS TO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST. LIVE IN THE PRESENT AND EMBRACE THE FUTURE. GIVE YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS, WHETHER IN SPORTS OR NOT, EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR TIME, EFFORT AND ENERGY. THE NEXT TIME YOU TAKE THE FIELD YOU WON'T HAVE A CHESTY LION JERSEY ON, BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE TITLE OF FORMER PLAYER. THIS IS AN HONOR TO SAY. WE HAVE A GREAT NETWORK OF PLAYERS THAT STAY IN TOUCH AND ARE A HUGE PART OF THE PROGRAM TO THIS DAY.
OFTEN TIMES IT TAKES HAVING SOMETHING TAKEN AWAY FROM US TO MAKE US REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THAT SOMETHING IS. SEEING YOUR TEAMMATES DAILY AND THE CAMARADERIE THAT OCCURS WITHIN A GROUP IS THE PART THAT I MISS THE MOST. I WILL MISS THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE HIGHS AND LOWS THAT BOND US AND MAKE A TEAM MORE THAN THAT. WE CAN PROMISE THE SENIOR CLASS OF 2020 ONE THING......WE WILL PLAY FOR YOU AS HARD AS ANY TEAM WE HAVE EVER HAD IN THE SPRING OF 2021. TAKE CARE AND WE LOVE YOU ALL!!
COACH GREEN
FROM COACH JOHNSON
SENIOR BASEBALL PLAYERS:
WHEN I THINK BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY FOR THE 2020 SENIORS AS LAWRENCE HIGH BASEBALL PLAYERS, THE FIRST FRESHMAN MEMORIES ARE THOSE OF STRUGGLE, PERSEVERANCE AND GROWTH. WHILE THE FINAL RECORD DID NOT REFLECT IT, THE SEVEN YOUNG MEN THAT WERE SET TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE THIS SPRING BECAME TOUGHER AND CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER DURING THAT SPRING AND SUMMER. WHILE DIFFERENT PLAYERS PARTICIPATED AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OUR PROGRAM IN THE SEASONS TO COME, THE COLLECTIVE GROUP CONSTANTLY SUPPORTED ONE ANOTHER AND NEVER LOST SIGHT OF ONE THING. THAT ONE THING WAS ONE LAST RIDE IN 2020, RECONVENING AS SENIORS TO LEAD OUR PROGRAM. THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THIS WILL FOREVER LEAVE A CRACK IN MY HEART FOR THESE SEVEN YOUNG MEN. HOWEVER, I KNOW OVER TIME IT WILL BRING US ALL CLOSER THAN EVER. THE IMPACT THEY ARE LEAVING BEHIND WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN. I LOVE AND WILL MISS THEM ALL DEARLY.
COACH JOHNSON
FROM COACH COOPER
DEAR SENIORS:
IT REALLY IS A BUMMER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR SENIOR SEASON. NOT ONLY THE SEASON, BUT ALL THE OTHER EXCITING THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN SPRING WHEN YOU’RE A CHESTY LION. I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING I COULD SAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT ALL BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, I’M NOT THAT INSIGHTFUL. WHAT I CAN SAY TO YOU IS THIS: FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS YOU ALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF ONE OF THE BEST TRADITIONS AROUND (TO PUT IT MODESTLY!). I KNOW BEING A CHESTY LION MEANS THE WORLD TO YOU, AND IT SHOULD. NOTHING, NOT EVEN THIS VIRUS CAN EVER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU. ONCE A LION, ALWAYS A LION. GOOD LUCK IN ALL OF YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS, I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE US PROUD!
SINCERELY,
COACH COOPER
