By Dana Harding
With a third head coach in as many semesters, the Billings Wildcats are hoping to create some stability.
Drew Cherry hits the ground running with a program that finished 2-12 in fall league play and 13-11 last season. Billings fell in the district championship game to Hurley.
A Forsyth standout, Cherry brings a youthful enthusiasm to the Wildcats and a working familiarity with the Southwest Central League.
“I think that being a young coach can really benefit this team,” Cherry said. “The boys have been through a lot, having three different coaches in the last few seasons. I’m young, hungry and ready to start a new tradition with this program.”
Four starters graduated from last season’s squad, including Reed Harter, Kyle Kimberling, Nolan McCain and Caleb Clinton.
While Cherry has several rosters spots to fill, some key components return to the Billings lineup.
Seniors Aidin Harter and Wyatt Gold join junior Luke Johnson and sophomore Peyton Gold on a team with a mix of youth and veteran experience.
Harter hit .444 in the fall with 20 hits and 11 RBIs; Johnson hit .384 with 15 hits and 4 RBIs; and Peyton Gold hit .386 with 17 hits, 15 RBIs and 2 home runs. Wyatt Gold played with a fall traveling team.
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“I expect this team to be successful,” Cherry said. “There is some talent on this team, there is also a high level of dedication. A lot of the players chose to workout, throw, and hit on their own without the guidance of a coach for more than a month. If this team stays dedicated to continuously getting better, then we will go places.”
While Cherry has only been at the school for a couple weeks, he’s been hard at work learning about his team and its tendencies.
“Just by looking at the book, there was a major trend of why this team had a poor win-to-loss ratio,” Cherry said. “The hitters struck out too many times each game, and the pitchers walked too many batters. This definitely gives me something to work at in the preseason and practices leading up to the team’s first spring game.”
While Billings looks to make another run at a district title, the Wildcats will also have to navigate an extremely-competitive conference.
“The SWCL is going to be very competitive,” Cherry said. “There are a lot of talented teams, some of those teams are also in our district. Teams like Galena and Crane are going to test us on every level in districts. I look forward to seeing these teams in the regular season and postseason.”
Billings travels to Dadeville for its season-opener on March 20.
