Harrell, Loesch named Athletes of the Week

Graham’s baseball and softball teams each earned huge wins this past week in different ways. The Lady Blues crushed Mineral Wells 12-0 in a five inning “run rule” game while the Steers held on for a close 2-1 win over Brownwood.

Zoey Harrell of the Lady Blues and Tate Loesch of the Steers earned selections as Athletes of the Week for their roles in their respective teams’ wins, in addition to the hard work they’ve put in all season to this point.

Zoey Harrell, infielder/pitcher, Lady Blues softball

Coming back from one leg injury is already a difficult task. Recovering from that injury, hurting your other leg and trying to bounce back from that one is even harder. But that’s what Harrell had to do over the past couple of years and she’s fought the whole way through.

Harrell had injured one of her knees and worked her way back to playing shape from that setback. Then she hurt her other knee and is now playing every game with a solid knee brace. But the junior is still playing and competing night in and night out.

“A lot of people after that injury at the end of last year might hang it up and say, ‘I don't want to go through that again,’” head coach Adam Arrington said. “But she went straight to rehab and started working to get the knee stronger again after surgery.”

Despite the limitations her healing knee might cause, Harrell has been a huge part of this Lady Blues team all season. She’s played multiple positions, primarily at first base and pitcher, and she provides a big bat at the plate.
In Graham’s recent 12-0 win over Mineral Wells, Harrell went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI.

She hit a double and two singles and was a key part in the Lady Blues’ blowout win. Harrell also pitched the final inning to close out the game and secure the victory for her team.

“She's a great softball player, (especially while) battling back from an injury,” Arrington said. “... She can play outfield for us, she can play first base for us and she can pitch for us. She's an all around good softball player and she has a killer bat. I'm glad we got her back for one more year.”

Tate Loesch, second baseman, Steers baseball

The Graham Steers needed a big hit this past week if they wanted a chance at knocking off the first-place Brownwood Lions in a district matchup. For Loesch, the three-year starter, he took that chance and ran with it.

In a scoreless pitching duel through the first few innings, the Steers finally got something cooking in the third inning. Two runners reached base with two outs and Loesch stepped to the plate.

The senior worked a perfect hitter’s count, 2-1, and rocked the next pitch he saw deep into the gap between right and center field. The ball rolled to the wall which allowed both runners to score as Loesch slid headfirst into third base with a triple to put his team up 2-0.

Those two runs would end up being the difference in the game as the Steers held on for the win. As the season has progressed, Loesch has only continued to improve both at the plate and in the field.

“He's been a three-year starter for us, so he's played a lot of varsity baseball in big games for us,” head coach Allen McGee said. “He's starting to feel his swing the last couple of games, so we're excited to see him really start taking off the second half of the district and heading into the playoffs.

Loesch has shown an ability to play multiple positions in the field, and he’s even stepped on the mound for a couple innings when needed. Wherever he plays, he makes a difference, and as one of the few seniors on the team, his leadership is important everywhere.

“He’s kind of a steady guy; he’s going to work, he’s going to get in early, going to stay late,” McGee said. “He's going to make sure that his teammates know that he's got their back and he's working for them.”