Ralston Valley’s Gianna Browdy was the 5A Jeffco League MVP last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — Ralston Valley softball coach Wendy Davies wouldn’t mind avoiding the up-and-down season the Mustangs experienced last year.
While Ralston Valley eventually went undefeated in Class 5A Jeffco League play for the second straight season — the Mustangs haven’t lost a conference game since Oct. 2, 2014 — there was a six-game losing streak before league play. Then there was the loss at regionals that forced Ralston Valley to defeat Mountain Vista twice to even advance to the 16-team 5A state tournament.
“It was a rollercoaster,” said Davies, who is starting her 18th season guiding Ralston Valley’s successful softball program. “I hope it resonates within them. I hope they remember that and what it feels like. I want them to remember what it took to comeback, work hard and work through it.”
Junior Abri Trujillo will step into the starting catcher role for Ralston Valley this season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Mustangs, along with Jeffco rival Dakota Ridge, bowed out of the state tournament with first-round losses in 2016.
Davies has always stressed that each season is a new year with new players and new chemistry. However she is excited to have starting pitcher and last year’s 5A Jeffco MVP back in senior Gianna Browdy.
“I think she (Browdy) will do great,” Davies said. “I was really impressed with her last year. She stepped up for us pitching, hitting, everything. She had a great year.”
Ralston Valley graduated four seniors and starting shortstop Christaana Angelopulos transferred to rival Arvada West this school year. Browdy said she is looking forward to playing against her former teammate and is confident the Mustangs have the talent to fill the voids.
“We are focusing on working together and getting everything done that we need to this year,” said Browdy, who nearly battled .500 last season along with 13 wins in the circle for the Mustangs. “We’ve got a lot of younger players this year. We’ve got to work together. This year our main focus is winning as many (games) as we can.”
Another key piece to the puzzle for Ralston Valley will be at catcher. The graduation of four-year starter Alexa Samuels behind the plate is big. Davies is confident that junior Abri Trujillo will be up to the challenge.
Kaylee Cerrone throws from second base during practice last week. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“Abri does a great job,” Davies said of the Mustangs’ new catcher. “She has some learning to do on the whole catching position. She will work her tail off.”
Ralston Valley will begin its regular season on the road against Mountain Vista on Thursday, Aug. 24. The high school season comes on the heels of a busy summer where some club players play up to 120 games from November until the end of the July.
While Davies believes some softball players get burnt out from a long club season, she feels fortunate to have a dedicated group of girls year-after-year.
“I think high school is nice,” Davies said. “They do enjoy coming back together and playing with their friends. We talk a lot about having pride in your school.”
Davies — Arvada West graduate who played softball at Florida State University and was inducted into the Jeffco Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 — has some company with another top Jeffco graduate and athlete heading up a softball program in Jeffco. After a few years as an assistant coach at Chatfield, Jenny Lazzeri has moved into the head coaching job for the Chargers’ softball program.
“I love coaching. I feel like coaching and teaching is why I’m here on this Earth,” said Lazzeri, who is a physical education teacher at Chatfield. “That’s my skill set and what I’m good at. I love working with young woman and female athletes so they can be the best they can be.”
Chatfield junior Taylor Wittwer, left, it back after suffering a knee injury last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Lazzeri is a Green Mountain High School graduate where she played basketball and softball. Lazzeri went on to play basketball for four years at the University of Wyoming (1996-1999) before returning to teach in Jeffco. She coached basketball for five years at Green Mountain.
“I think it’s great,” Davies said of Lazzeri taking over the program at Chatfield. “I think the kids need great role models. They know their coach has been to that next level (college) — be it basketball or softball. Jen is a great lady and is going to do a great job over there.”
The Chargers have some work to do. Chatfield graduated seven seniors and finished near the bottom of 5A Jeffco with a 1-6 conference mark last season.
“Everyone is kind of counting us out, but I’m pretty excited about the kids that we have,” Lazzeri said. “We have some hardworking kids. Kids with good integrity and character. We’ve got some freshmen who will be playing with us on varsity. I think we’ll be able to compete.”
Besides a six-game losing streak to end last season, the Chargers also lost all-conference outfielder Taylor Wittwer toward the end of the season with a knee injury.
“I was very disappointed,” Wittwer said of suffering the injury just before the regional tournament. “It was hard not knowing what my outcome would be. Not knowing if I would ever play again.”
Wittwer had surgery last November and spent six weeks on crutches. She missed the majority of the track season, but is back on the field for the Chargers this fall.
“Our goal is to work together and have a better outcome than last season. We weren’t very united,” Wittwer said. “Lazzeri has worked hard on bring us together as a team.”
While being a competitive team this season is definitely a goal, Lazzeri has a big picture focus for Chatfield’s softball program and its future.
“What I ultimately want is kids in this area to be excited about wanting to go to Chatfield,” Lazzeri said. “I want girls at a young age knowing that they want to go to Chatfield to play softball.”
Green Mountain graduate Jen Lazzeri at now at the helm of Chatfield’s softball program. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)