At Collierville, parents and players make for winning team

More so than any other school in Shelby County, it's been a great spring at Collierville.

The Dragons have spent the entire season in The Commercial Appeal's rankings in baseball, softball and boys soccer. There was even a stretch in April when Collierville was either first or second in all three.

But what does it take to produce a successful spring program year in and year out? Good players, obviously. Strong coaches, of course. Parental involvement is a must. But with all three teams in action on a recent night at Collierville, it became obvious that little things mean a lot, too.

5:50 p.m.: Jeff Curtis is always a busy man but especially this time of year. The Collierville athletic director has three teams with good chances to qualify for Spring Fling if all goes well. It would be a nice cap to a good year all around.

"I like the direction we're heading," he said. "It starts with football ... losing in the quarterfinals to Cordova who were one of the top teams in the state. Volleyball won the district championship. Coach (Jonathan) Mooneyham and coach (Anthony) Hall are doing great jobs with the basketball teams (boys and girls, respectively).

"Our swimming program is a dynasty; we sent several bowlers to state. But I think our spring sports really speak for us. We take pride in our rankings, academically as well as athletically. I think the kids think about being ranked ... and it's awesome to see when they've earned that respect."

6:02 p.m.: It's Senior Night for the softball team. Burgers and dogs are on the grill, and everyone is in the house. Except for an opponent.

Curtis said Bartlett backed out of the scheduled game just a couple of hours before the first pitch. The news likely brought a few more "dadgummits" from longtime coach Mike Bradley but the show must go on.

And it does so in nice fashion with Sydney Eubank, Megan Fullwood and Sera Lerma honored for their contributions over the past four years, a span that has seen Collierville go 115-31 overall (47-1 in district play) while winning three district and three region championships.

'It's a special moment," Eubank said after gathering on the field with her teammates to continue the tradition of releasing balloons on Senior Night.

"I always liked the idea and now to be able to get to do it myself ... it's rewarding."

The field is adorned with one of Bradley's special touches – the seniors' numbers painted at their positions. Eubank's No. 12 is at short, Lerma's No. 17 at third and Fullwood's No. 2 behind the plate.

"That's typical of our coaches," Curtis said. "He hasn't been home, hasn't eaten ... he doesn't have to do that."

The soccer team doesn't have to come by and lend support, either, after hearing news that the game had been canceled. But it does.

"We support each other," soccer coach Drew Hensarling said.

Added Eubank: "I think it's cool that they came out to support us ... but we joke that we're (softball) the only team that can beat Houston."

6:25 p.m.: Freshman Mikayla Savage has supplied the rallying cry for this year's team.

Eat that sketti.

"We were in a little bit of a slump and it just popped in my head," she said before going on to mime that act of twirling spaghetti around a fork, slurping it down and then wiping your mouth with the back of your hand in the most intimidating way possible.

"It's a just a fun thing. An energetic thing."

Whatever works.

7:02 p.m.: The baseball team already has scored four runs in the bottom of the first to take a lead over Harding, which makes it a good time to go over and visit the most important man at the field, game-day grillmaster Phil Chatlosh.

"I'm going to need a shower when I get done ... but at least it's not 1,000 degrees," Chatlosh said. "It's nice to get out here and see the other dads."

Chatlosh is the creator of the Dragon Burger, a hamburger topped with a chicken patty and cheese. He fails to talk one lactose-intolerant customer into buying one, but it sounds tasty just the same.

"He's revered around here," said Fielding Belk, who like Chatlosh has a son on the team. "He's loved. He does a great job ... but most everybody you see here doing something is a parent. The scoreboard, the announcer, the concession stand ... it's the involvement of everyone that makes it fun."

7:40 p.m.: It's going to be an early night for the baseball team, too, as it scores a couple of more runs en route to what will be an 11-1 mercy-rule victory over Harding. But that's not spoiling the fun of Collierville students Lane Clement, Tanner Mayfield and Daniel Bobbitt, who have backed a pickup truck against the right-field wall and are watching the game from the bed.

"It's the best seat in the house," said Mayfield, who plays football. "And you don't have to pay."

Added Bobbitt: "And you can talk smack to the (outfielder). But we really only do that against Houston."

8:17 p.m.: There's plenty of excitement at the soccer field. Germantown's Abdellah Saleh makes a great save on a penalty kick to keep the game scoreless at halftime. And chocolate chip cookies are on sale for just 18 cents in honor of Collierville senior (and No. 18) Caleb Tammi.

And we've now had our second casualty of the night as a Germantown defender kicks a ball way over the fence and into the woods surrounding the field.

"That's tick city back there," assistant coach George Swanson said. But backup goalkeeper Max Carmon is going to give it a try. He's soon back, though.

"I was literally just picking one off me," Carmon said. "I'm not going to be able to get that one."

It's the effort that counts.

9:15 p.m.: Tyler Burns, a sophomore who was on the junior varsity until just a couple of weeks ago, sends the fans home happy with a goal late in the second half.

It's a satisfying victory over a talented rival team, and Ken Mears, a longtime Dragons assistant and the teacher of the state's only honors-level personal finance class, doesn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. 

"I moved to Collierville in 1976 and there's been a lot of change," he said. "I remember when you could go into the grocery store and recognize every person there. Now, you're lucky if you recognize three of them.

"But I think people want to live here because of what the school offers. And parental support is paramount. There are a lot of two-income families here, so maybe if someone can't get a ride to practice they're able to call another kid's parents. It's the community, more so than the school, that binds us."

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.