By Brian FeesSouthern Tier Sports Report
CORNING — A year ago the Corning Hawks won a state title. Now they are back to work, getting ready for a new season.
The team has plenty of added excitement coming into the year, but they also know it’s a new year.
“We are realistic too,” Corning coach Mike Johnston Jr. said. “We lost a couple of really good players. They are playing at a higher level right now (Division I and Division II college softball) and they are succeeding already and I think a lot of that is we try and train kids to play at the next level. We treat them as athletes.
“Their mental toughness is outstanding and they have got grit and all those things and those are things that are a part of our culture in our program.”
Practices began this week for the spring season, but ever since last year ended the Hawks players put in the work.
“I would have liked the basketball season to have lasted a little longer,” Johnston Jr. said. “But, I’m really proud of the success we had there. But, these kids have been working really hard in the offseason. We have had between 20-30 kids at open gyms two nights a week and they are hungry. It’s nice this year because a lot of them that were with us a year ago have come right in and they are being great leaders for us.
“That’s the great thing about being a coach, when you have kids that understand your system when they can go and teach it. They are doing a great job right now, the older kids with the 7th/8th and 9th graders who made the varsity team and we are expecting big things with them.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM PRACTICE:
