When Cherryl Bott watched the last Secaucus High School girls’ basketball game of the season in the Group I state playoffs in February, the veteran softball coach couldn’t believe her eyes.
During the game, Bott watched her ace pitcher, senior Shannon Waters, go down with a dislocated shoulder.
“It wasn’t Shannon’s pitching arm,” Bott said. “But she still couldn’t do anything at all with us.”
So when spring practice for the upcoming softball season began in March, Waters was relegated to the role of spectator, working on rehabilitating the injury.
“She went to physical therapy and did some running and bike riding, but not much else,” Bott said. “It made for a very interesting month.”
In Waters’ absence, sophomore Danielle Roesing filled in as the Patriots’ top pitcher. Roesing toed the rubber several times last year as a freshman, so it was nothing new for her.
But Bott – and everyone in the Secaucus softball program for that matter – knew that if the Patriots were going to be contenders for the NJIL Meadowlands Division, the Group I state playoffs and the Hudson County Tournament, they were going to need a healthy Waters, who has been a pitching machine for the Pats for the last four seasons.
“Absolutely, we needed Shannon,” Bott said. “Never mind her pitching. We needed her bat as well. When we learned about Shannon’s injury, we had to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
Well, the best is about to return. Waters will be back sometime next week in some capacity. She might not be able to pitch right away, but she will be in the lineup somehow.
“If we can get through this week, we should be okay,” said Bott, who is assisted this year by former Hudson Reporter Female Athlete of the Year Nicole Degenhardt. Degenhardt just completed a fine athletic career, playing volleyball and basketball, at Felician College.
The Patriots have already defeated Fair Lawn and Queen of Peace, two solid wins without Waters. They will face Becton Regional and Garfield this week before Waters returns.
Senior Kelsey Snedeker, the school’s versatile jack of all trades, returns as the Patriots’ catcher. Snedeker was a recent nominee for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award, given to the best all-around student/athletes in the county. Snedeker was a New Jersey finalist for that award because of her contributions in soccer, basketball and softball.
“She can do everything,” Bott said of Snedeker. “She’s taken on the responsibility of being in charge of the pitchers and pitch selection this year. She’s just a good all-around athlete.”
First base duties are being shared by sophomore Arianna Simon and senior Brittney Mitchell.
A pair of sophomores, Danielle Mitchell (no relation to Brittney) and Kim Alfonso, handles the second base chores.
Senior Alexis Waters (cousin to Shannon) is a three-year varsity starter at shortstop. She’s also the Patriots’ leadoff hitter and field general.
Roesing, Shannon Waters and sophomore Jessie Koerner will all share the third base duties, depending upon who is pitching.
Sophomore Lauren Guillen is a solid left fielder. Centerfield is manned by basketball star Andrea Innis, the three-time Hudson Reporter Basketball Player of the Year. Innis is no slouch in softball either. She can swing a powerful bat and is a good defensive presence in the outfield.
Right field sees three players battling for playing time with senior Sam Suppa, junior Amanda Beckmeyer and sophomore Gabby Visaggio all slugging it out to get on the field.
“We still have to jell a little, but that’s starting to happen now,” Bott said. “When everything comes together, the winning comes naturally.”
The Patriots have won 20 or more games in each of the last three seasons.
“I think we can absolutely contend for league, county and state playoffs,” Bott said. “We just have to get healthy and get Shannon back at full strength. As a team, we have a lot of sophomores, but we’re going to continue to get better. My motto has always been that it’s not where you start, but where you finish. That’s going to be our goal this year. We want to finish strong.”
Getting Waters back would be a huge first step in that direction. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.