For the first time in his coaching career Lance Rorex did not want to talk about baseball right away. Instead, after his team had its state tournament hopes crushed with a 7-4 loss to University High in a Class A sectional Saturday afternoon, Lookout Valley's leader wanted to praise his six seniors.
"They've changed the whole dynamic at our school," Rorex began. "Just by the way they carry themselves in the hallways, they've set the tone for years to come. That's a group that's going to be great fathers and husbands, and if I've prepared them for anything, it's to be good men in our community."
The character of the seniors was evident throughout the season as they helped the Yellow Jackets double the number of wins from last year and earn both district and region championships before falling one step shy of reaching the state tournament.
That same grit again was on display Saturday as Lookout Valley (26-9) answered Jakob Hare's two-run home run for University in the third with three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Zane Howard's two-run double.
The Buccaneers tied the game on a Cas Blevins homer in the fifth, then reclaimed the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth, but again Lookout Valley responded with a quick rally, scoring one run to pull within 5-4 before stranding runners on third and second.
"That's a very good team we played, but the way we kept fighting back and finding ways to hang around is what we've done all season, and that's what's made this group so special," Rorex added. "They're just a fun bunch of kids to be around. It sucks to lose, but what I'll miss the most is just getting to be around those guys."
University High (22-10) added two insurance runs in the seventh, and Jack Bembry struck out two of the three batters he faced to finish off his complete-game three-hitter.
"They do a very good job of manufacturing runs and putting pressure on you," said Bucs coach Josh Petty, a former Ooltewah player. "Jack hadn't thrown in a few days so he was fresh, and luckily we got those two timely home runs, and then once we got some insurance in the seventh that made a difference in how we approached the bottom of the inning."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.