By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
The 2022 fall sports season is well past the halfway point, and four Wolverine programs are working hard to finish the season strong. From the adversity faced by the football team, rebound seasons from volleyball and girls’ tennis, and the steady running of cross-country, here is a look at the season to date for the fall sports of Woodruff Wolverines:
Still Trying to Find Themselves:
To say the 2022 football season has been perplexing would be an understatement. The Wolverines entered this year with lofty expectations and a talented team with 23 seniors. That success, however, has not quite manifested yet for whichever reason one chooses to site. There have certainly been bright spots, such as the opening overtime win over long-time nemesis Chapman, the connection between quarterback Carson Tucker and his receivers, and the gritty, hard-nosed play of Eastin Burch. Still, through seven games, Woodruff has a record of 3-4. The Wolverines fell on the road to Chester in their region opener by a mere seven points, and with the play-offs looming, they are looking for the key that will help them finally break loose this season.
Coming up Aces
The Lady Wolverine volleyball team has bounced back from a disappointing 2021 season and is playing its best down the stretch. The early season record was no indication of the talent on this team. Woodruff played a loaded schedule that consisted of many 4A and 5A opponents and several tough tournaments to prepare them for their Region IV-3A slate. The Lady Wolverines are currently battling with Clinton and Union County for the top three spots in the conference. They have a hard-fought victory over talented region foe Emerald to their credit. The Lady Wolverines are a talented mix of seniors and underclassmen and are well on their way to the class 3A play-offs after a one-year hiatus.
Serving Success
The Lady’s tennis team is amid a terrific season and is right in the thick of a region championship battle with rival Clinton. An experienced and talented team, the Lady Wolverines have been serving up success on the court all season. During the last week of September, Woodruff reeled off a string of region victories over region opponents to give themselves a 7-4 overall record and a 4-1 mark in conference play. Their only setback was to a powerhouse Clinton program, but with another meeting between the two on the books, the Lady Wolverines have a chance to finish with a flourish and claim a number one seed in the 3A state play-offs. Led by players like Marlee Henry, Anna Wood, and June Welch, Woodruff is in a good place as the season approaches its climax.
Running to Win
While the girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams have not competed in the yet-to-be ran region races, both teams have run a challenging meet schedule in 2022 that included the Eye Opener race, which is one of the toughest and most grueling in the state. Both Wolverine squads have placed among the best finishes of 3A teams in each of the races they have competed in, and high expectations are going into the region and upper-state meets. Jacob Craig has been the standout runner and highest finisher in each of the boys’ races, and Erin McCallion has done the same for the girls’ team.
Author: Tracy Sanders
