MILLPORT, Ala. — The success of Year 2 of the Lane Wright era at South Lamar High School was crafted well before the season started.
When the 10-year coaching veteran made the switch from Sulligent to South Lamar, he inherited a team that lost eight seniors from a squad which reached the semifinals of the Alabama Class 1A state playoffs.
The familiarity of coaching in the area — Wright also coached at Northside in Tuscaloosa — gave him an idea of the talent he”d have in this third head coaching job.
Wright spent the first year rebuilding, guiding a team mainly comprised of freshmen and sophomores to a 16-18 record.
Then sophomores Hank Parker, Trent Wilson and Ryan Jaynes became stalwarts in the making, leading the Stallions to the third round of the playoffs before falling to Shoals Christian.
That year of experience made all the difference in Wright”s second year, as the Commercial Dispatch 2011 West Alabama Coach of the Year led South Lamar to 1A semifinals, where the Stallions lost to eventual state champion Shoals Christian for the second consecutive season.
South Lamar closed the regular season strong and breezed through the first two rounds of the playoffs with a 13-6 record over its last 19 games. The Stallions finished 17-14 overall.
“We expected to go deep in the playoffs, especially when we got on that great run at the end of the season,” Wright said. “Expectations were high this year, just like they”ll be next year. The ninth and 10th graders that struggled a bit because of youth are only going to get better next year.”
South Lamar”s top four hitters — Parker, Wilson, Jaynes and Kyle Aldridge — will be back next season. Aldridge, also the Stallions top pitcher, had offseason labrum surgery and didn”t see the mound until the end of the season when he closed playoff wins against Hackleburg.
Without one of their top pitchers for most of the year – a second was ineligible – the Stallions relied on their offense, which saw seven players hit over .300 and three over .400.
The middle of the lineup powered the Stallions to an average of 8.9 runs per game. Whether it was Wilson”s high on-base percentage in the three-hole or Parker”s power at cleanup – he hit .461 and had over 40 RBIs and six home runs — the Stallions were always a threat to reach double-digit runs.
“”If we got the one and two guy on,” Wright said, “we were going to drive in some runs.”
Still, Wright credits the Stallions pitching for keeping the team together through the season, which included a tough midseason run against teams from higher classifications.
Blowout losses to Sipsey Valley, Gordo and Northside could have dented the Stallions” confidence, but their ability to navigate the peaks and valleys of a tough schedule laid the groundwork for their postseason run.
“We challenged some of those bigger schools and fell apart in others because at that point it was becoming a day-in, day-out grind,” Wright said. “We dusted ourselves off and didn”t let another school”s numbers and how good they”re supposed to be affect us in the long run. We knew we had to play teams like that to make us better and make us closer as a team.”
Wright admits his coaching style isn”t ideal for every team. Wright”s intense style can elicit negative feelings from players who aren”t mentally tough.
That”s why he credits his assistants Scott Foster and Clay Gilliam with being the bridge between he and his players.
“A lot of the times, I”m doing a lot of the screaming and hollering and yelling, and my two assistant coaches can go get them and get them happy again,” he said.
“I couldn”t do it without them, and I couldn”t do it without some good kids, who”ve responded to every challenge that”s come at them.”
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