Staff file photo by Robin Rudd / Sequatchie County second baseman Peyton Longson was one of three seniors on this year’s team and a big reason why the team was focused on winning the softball program’s first state title since 1990.After getting a sample of Murfreesboro last season, Sequatchie County High School’s loaded softball team was amped up and ready to take a swing at a Class AA state championship this year.
Looking to build off last year’s 33-12 record that included a 22-game winning streak and a fourth-place finish at the TSSAA Spring Fling, a motivated group returning all but one starter had a newfound swagger.
“Last year we got up there and it was every kid’s first time being at state, so they were a little nervous and content with (just) being there,” coach Kelly Somerville said. “This year our team had a whole different mindset. We believed in ourselves in a way we didn’t last year, when we were trying to prove ourselves. We were ready to go out and make the other teams beat us.”
The coronavirus pandemic, as it did to every Tennessee softball team dreaming of a state title this year, ended that quest before it could get started in earnest.
Sequatchie’s Mackenzie Turner was phenomenal in the pitching circle as a junior, with her 23 wins leading all players in the Chattanooga area in 2019. The Roane State signee also spearheaded offseason workouts for a team focused on earning the program’s first state title since 1990.