CORRYTON — In Danny Hartsell’s first season as the Cocke County softball coach, the Lady Red stumbled to a seven-win 2021 season.
Fast forward three years, and Hartsell stood on the Gibbs softball field Monday looking back at a memorable 2024 campaign — one that has included much more success at a 24-10 record, but a “bittersweet” ending, as Hartsell said.
kAmp7E6C C24<:?8 FA H:?D :? E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ E96 {25J #65 H6?E a\b :? 2 A@DED62D@? E92E 6?565 :? |@?52J’D f\_ =@DD E@ v:33D :? z?@IG:==6]k^Am
kAmxE H2D r@4<6 r@F?EJ’D D64@?5 EC:A E@ E96 C68:@? D6>:D :? w2CED6==’D 7@FC J62CD =625:?8 E96 AC@8C2>[ 2D rrw$ =@DE E@ 2 {25J t28=6 E62> E92E 92D >256 E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E b_ @FE @7 E96 =2DE bb D62D@?D]k^Am
kAmw2CED6== 925 D66? 7:CDE92?5 E96 52>286 v:33D 4@F=5 5@[ EC2G6=:?8 E@ D4@FE E96 AC@8C2> fa 9@FCD 367@C6 9:D {25J #65 H@F=5 E2<6 E96 7:6=5 :? z?@IG:==6]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DE @7 9:D r@4<6 r@F?EJ A=2J6CD 8@E 2 E2DE6 @7 :E |@?52J[ 2D v:33D DE24<65 7:G6 CF?D @? E9C66 BF:4< 9:ED 282:?DE E96 {25J #65 5676?D6 :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 D64@?5 :??:?8]k^Am
kAmv:33D’ |2=J:29 $>:E9 <?@4<65 2? #qx D:?8=6 7@C 2 @?6\CF? 25G2?E286[ E96? s2<@E2 {2C86 9:E 2 32D6D\=@2565 #qx 5@F3=6 E@ 3C62< E96 82>6 @A6? 2E c\_]k^Am
kAmp55:D@? |6CC:EE 9:E 2 EH@\@FE #qx D:?8=6 E@ >2<6 E96 D4@C6 d\_[ 2?5 v:33D 7@==@H65 H:E9 EH@ >@C6 CF?D EH@ :??:?8D =2E6C E@ 46>6?E E96 7:?2= >2C8:?]k^Am
kAmr@4<6 r@F?EJ 4@F=5 ?@E C6DA@?5 >F49 @776?D:G6=J @C 5676?D:G6=J]k^Am
kAmw2:=66 w2CED6== DECF4< @FE @?6 H:E9 2 H2=< E@ A2:C H:E9 D6G6? CF?D @? 6:89E 9:ED 2==@H65 E9C@F89 b]a :??:?8D[ 2?5 t==:6 !C@77:EE 82G6 FA EH@ 9:ED 2?5 2 H2=< :? a]` :??:?8D]k^Am
kAm“t==:6 2?5 w2:=66 3@E9 E9C6H H6==[ E9C6H 2 =@E @7 DEC:<6D[” D2:5 w2CED6==] “(6 >256 2 =@E @7 5676?D:G6 A=2JD] xE H2D ;FDE E92E D64@?5 :??:?8 E92E 9FCE FD[ E96? H6 4@F=5?’E AC@5F46 @? E96 32D6 A2E9D 2?5 C2? =:<6 H:=5 x?5:2?D =:<6 H6 5:5?’E <?@H H92E H6 H6C6 5@:?8]”k^Am
kAmrrw$ 5:5 86E D@>6E9:?8 8@:?8 :? E96 E@A @7 E96 D:IE9[ 2D $92<JC2 #665 362E @FE 2 8C@F?56C @? 2 D:?8=6]k^Am
kAmp5:D6? |4}62=J E96? 2AA62C65 E@ ?:4< E96 32== — AFEE:?8 :E :? A=2J D:?46 :E DAF? @? E96 A=2E6 — 3FE :E H2D CF=65 7@F=]k^Am
kAmw2CED6== 2C8F65 E96 42== H:E9 E96 9@>6 A=2E6 F>A:C6[ E96? 6I492?865 H@C5D H:E9 9:> 2D 96 962565 E@ E96 5F8@FE 36EH66? :??:?8D E@@]k^Am
kAm“%96 32== H2D DA:??:?8 @? E@A @7 E96 A=2E6 — :E H2D :? 72:C A=2J[” 96 D2:5[ C642==:?8 9:D G2?E286 A@:?E @? E96 :DDF6] “|J @3;64E H2D E92E H6 925 EH@ CF??6CD @? H:E9 ?@ @FED[ 2?5 96 42==D 2 7@F= 32==] %96 42E496C D:ED E96C6 2?5 H2E496D :E[ H6’C6 D276[ 2?5 96 EC:6D E@ E6== >6 :E H2D?’E @? E96 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ3@5J :? 96C6 D2H E92E :E H2D DA:??:?8 @? E96 A=2E6] x 8@E 2 =:EE=6 :CC:E2E65[ 3642FD6 H6 >:89E 92G6 925 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 2 CF?] qFE :E DF4<65 E96 =:76 @FE @7 FD]”k^Am
kAmx?5665[ ?@E9:?8 6=D6 42>6 FA 7@C rrw$ :? E96 D:IE9[ 2?5 E96J H6?E 324< E@ E96 5F8@FE 7@==@H:?8 E9C66 >@C6 @FED 7C@> v:33D]k^Am
kAm%96 7:?2= 92=7\:??:?8 H2D >@C6 @7 E96 D2>6[ E9@F89 D6?:@C y2:=29 t?D=6J 5:5 C6249 7:CDE 27E6C 2 8C@F?56C E92E E@@< 2? :>AC6DD:G6 9@A E@ C6249 D92==@H 46?E6C]k^Am
kAmqFE 7@==@H:?8 2 82>6\6?5:?8 8C@F?5@FE[ :E H2D t?D=6J[ z:?=6J (:==:2>D 2?5 z:CDE6? |@@C6 E92E w2CED6== H2D 7@C465 E@ D2J 8@@53J6 E@ 7@C E96 7:?2= E:>6]k^Am
kAmw6 2?5 t?D=6J 9F8865 :? E96 5F8@FE[ E96 6>@E:@? 3=665:?8 E9C@F89 2D w2CED6== DA@<6 >@>6?ED =2E6C]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 8C@FA @7 D6?:@CD H:E9 y2:=29 2?5 z:CDE6? — E9@D6 EH@ 92G6 366? H:E9 >6 7@C E96 =@?8 92F= 7C@> 4@249 A:E49 2== E96 H2J FA[” D2:5 w2CED6==] “%9:D @?6 :D 92C5] x’> ECJ:?8 ?@E E@ 36 6>@E:@?2= C:89E ?@H] }F>36C ac Wt?D=6JX C:89E E96C6[ :E DE:?8D] (6’G6 366? E9C@F89 2 =@E E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm“$96’D 366? E9C@F89 E96 8@@5 2?5 E96 325 — D6G6?\H:? D62D@?D[ 2?5 E96? E9:D @?6 96C6] xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 92C5 @?6 E@ DH2==@H @?46 :E D6ED :?]”k^Am
kAm(96? :E 5@6D[ w2CED6== D2:5 96 H:== E6IE 6249 @7 9:D A=2J6CD H:E9 :?5:G:5F2= >6DD286D @? H92E E96J >62? E@ 9:> 2?5 E96 AC@8C2> 2D 2 H9@=6]k^Am
kAmx? E92E D2>6 G6:?[ 96 H:== C67=64E >@C6 @? E96 8C@HE9 E92E rrw$ D@7E32== 92D D66? E9:D D62D@?[ >2:?E2:?:?8 :ED 4@?D:DE6?4J H9:=6 255:?8 724:=:EJ 762EFC6D E92E w2CED6== 925 :? >:?5 H96? 96 E@@< @G6C]k^Am
kAmqFE 2D E96 6>@E:@? DF3D:56D[ w2CED6== H:== 2=D@ 86E E@ H@C< @? 7:8FC:?8 @FE 9@H E9:D E62> 42? 25G2?46 7FCE96C :? E96 A@DED62D@? 27E6C A=2J:?8 D@ H6== 5FC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2==[ E96 {25J #65 D2H E96 3=F6AC:?E 7@C 9@H E@ 5@ E92E @? |@?52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAm“%9:D =6ED FD <?@H H92E H6 92G6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@ E@ 8@ 7FCE96C[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 H6’C6 E96 E62> E@ 5@ E92E] |2J36 FD A=2J:?8 E96> H:== 2==@H FD E@ 86E 2 766= 7@C E92E 2?5 D66 H92E :E’D =:<6]”k^Am
kAm“(6 8@ 7C@> D:I H:?D E@ ac[ 3FE H6’G6 8@E E@ 5@ :E 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[” 96 25565] “(6 92G6 E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E92E[ H96? :E 4@>6D 5:DEC:4E E@FC?2>6?E E:>6[ H6 8FE\4964< @FCD6=G6D 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE H92E H6 ?665 E@ 5@ — H96E96C H:E9 >6 @C 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 E@E6> A@=6 — E@ D66 H92E E92E :D]k^Am
kAm“%92E H2J[ H96? :E 4@>6D A=2J@77 E:>6[ H6 42? 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H E@ A=2J D@7E32== =:<6 H6 5:5 2== J62C =@?8]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.