In May, the first three Camp Verde club softball players who have been with Juggernaut since its inception five years ago graduate high school.
“We went all over in tournaments, and we had a group of young girls that were competitive,” recalled head coach Henry Smith, whose daughter Taya, along with infielders Paige Church and Dusty Dowdle, are Camp Verde High School seniors who helped form Juggernaut with him in 2010. “After talking with parents, we all decided we should do it, so I quit playing and started coaching.”
Before Smith shut down competition for the holidays, Camp Verde’s club softball team finished 2-2 against older, more experienced teams Oct. 24 and 25 at an Amateur Softball Association fast-pitch tournament in Cottonwood.
“I’m hoping to get the older players involved who practice with us but never get a chance to play,” Smith said. “We give them the chance to play the positions they feel comfortable with. Every one of their parents involved are really supportive.”
Smith, in his fifth year as Juggernaut head coach who also enters his third season as CVHS softball coach, was led not just by his daughter but a handful of other players over 14 years old who helped defeat two 16U teams at Riverfront Park.
“It’s neat they’re willing to travel just to get innings,” said Smith, who plans to continue practice three days a week through the end of the year. “A lot of these teams we play, they’re playing every week or every other weekend. The fact that we were all comfortable playing up this tournament and played with them so well goes to show they listen and really are coachable.”
Smith believes Nieja Garner, a senior at South Verde High School, and Camp Verde High School junior Kayla Hackett will also join Taya Smith among the older leaders of the club by Juggernaut’s next tournament in Peoria in January — if not sooner, during practice Tuesdays through Thursdays.
“At that point, we should be able to get everybody together for the beginning of the year,” Smith said. “Get our high school team back together, get them familiar with playing each other again and get on track with a state championship run.”
New to that team will be freshman shortstop Rachel Stockseth, who will compete for starts as well as innings, Smith said.
“Rachel is somebody we’re really looking at and excited for,” Smith said. “Her speed will help her contend with Kayla Hackett for the starting shortstop position.”
For the full story and more photos, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 11, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
