Editor’s note: This is the fifth part of a summer series revisiting the best of “The Prep Zone” sports show at locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville featuring interviews with area coaches and players with hosts Mike Ridaught and Marty Pallman from the 2023-24 seasons.
The Gainesville softball team and head coach Chris Chronister, who finished second in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A Coach of the Year, joined Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught and co-host Marty Pallman on their weekly radio show on Thursday, May 30.
The Hurricanes (24-5) advanced to their first final four in eight years with a 3-0 win at Gulf Breeze in a Class 5A-Region 1 Final.
GHS defeated Archbishop McCarthy (Southwest Ranches), 5-2, in the state semifinals at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont. The ‘Canes lost a heartbreaker to defending state champion Parrish Community, 3-2, in eight innings in the title game.
Pitching and Martha Stewart were key ingredients for GHS’ run to the state championship game.
Below are excerpts from the May 30 interview — edited for length and clarity — of The Prep Zone’s interview. You can listen to the full conversation online.
Q: Joining us in this opening segment is head coach Chris Chronister, in his eighth season. Coach, congratulations, a great season overall for the Hurricanes, a district title, getting to the Final Four, but then also winning that state semifinal game and playing in a state championship game so, kind of put a big bow on it. What a great year it was overall, congratulations.
Chris Chronister: Yeah, thanks a lot. I really appreciate that. It was a very special season. You know, going into the season, we had high expectations. We knew we had a pretty good team. But obviously coming off of the season that we had last year, we didn’t really know what to expect for sure. So, you know, the girls all came together and built some great team chemistry throughout the season. And it really came together at the end of the year right when it needed to for the playoffs and we were able to go on a great run through the playoffs. It was just a lot of fun.
Q: And the fact that you had to go to Middleburg and beat them twice, once for the district title. You knew they were going to be licking their chops with an opportunity to send you home. But instead, you guys actually go and beat them worse (in the regional semifinals) than you did in the district championship game. But then going to Gulf Breeze, that’s such a long trip over there, and to be able to get a big win like that on the road was also big. You guys were road warriors for those last couple of games.
Chris Chronister: Just like the beginning of the season, nobody expected us to be there. And I think, you know, through all those games, we did have to go on the road. And I think those teams, I don’t think they underestimated what we brought. But you know, you always feel more comfortable when you’re playing at home. So, I think they felt comfortable in their home environment. And we were able to bring our A game in every one of those games. I talked to our girls at our banquet last night.
Middleburg ended our season last year, actually the last two years. We lost to them in regional semifinal two years ago, and we lost to them in districts last year. We got no hit in that game in districts. And this year in the district championship. We know them. So it was nice to give a little bit of a payback there and get that win at Middleburg.
But going back for the second game and Middleburg and regionals, we knew that was going to be a tough game because now they had seen us and we hadn’t played them in the regular season this year. So maybe it was a little bit of a surprise factor when we came in there but once they had seen what we brought to the table, I knew they were going to come out ready to play. But we were able to get the win anyway.
Q: You look back at what Katie Chronister and Alyssa Humphrey were able to do, and someone asked me if I thought Leanna Bourdage was the better of the three and I said it’s kind of early to say because Leanna is only a freshman, but I think she has a chance to pass Chronister in strikeouts. And honestly, if it weren’t for COVID, I don’t know that she’d be able to pass Humphrey because she was on pace to have over 1,000 strikeouts and she had that shortened season seven games during COVID-19.
Chris Chronister: Yeah, for sure. Alyssa would have set all kinds of records had she been able to complete that season. And I feel like that would have been our chance to win a state championship. Yeah, that team was really a good team. They had the hitting, they had Alyssa in the circle, with the experience of having played a number of games. It was a very sad day when they shut down the season that year.
But going back to Leanna, she definitely has the chance to be as good or better than any one of those pitchers that we’ve had here before. That’s saying a lot. I mean, we’ve had some very successful pitchers come out of this program. But she works hard. And if she continues to work hard, you know, the sky’s the limit for her as long as she stays injury free and we’re able to complete four years of softball, I think she can have a really good career.
Q: I know it probably stings a little bit because you didn’t win the state championship, but you guys were so close, extra-inning game. How does it feel to be state runners-up this year?
Braylin Cook (JR): Honestly, I’m just proud of the team because we only won six games last year. I’m just proud that we could even make it past regionals this year, like I’m beyond proud. I’m glad that we even got to be in the championship game and I’m grateful that we got to be in the championship game. And honestly, we gave it our all. Like, that was a good game, it had to happen off a walk-off. I still think we’re the better team, but we’re very proud of where we came from.
Q: Elise Knopf is the only senior. To be able to end your career, playing in the state championship game is great, don’t get me wrong, but she had a birthday the day before (in the state semifinals), which is kind of cool. She made a great diving play too, in the outfield, and nonetheless on her 18th birthday. So, talk about your big day and getting a win and making a great play. That was a good day for you.
Elise Knopf (SR): Yeah, it was a great day. In that game, we were down in the first couple of innings but then we got our bats going, we got the lead and then making that diving catch. Like Olivia (Lockerman) said, I wasn’t sure if I could get there or not but I just went for it and in like a second I know I’m on the ground and I have the ball.
Q: Freshman Leanna Bourdage had a big year with a 0.57 earned run average and over 250 strikeouts. Leanna, how do you think you played this year?
Leanna Bourdage (FR): I think I performed really well this season. And there were a couple things that I would have changed probably but overall, my defense had my back and my offense was really nice, which gave me confidence in the circle.