One of the best movies of all-time motivates local softball team to the second round
“Remember the Titans” may have been released at the turn of the century, but the movie based on a true story is still having an impact on people today.
Remember the Titans, which stars Denzel Washington, follows a high school football team in Virginia in 1971 during segregation. Their beloved coach was replaced by an African-American, Washington, and the story captures the obstacles, trials and successes between the two races.
What is considered one of the best sports movies of all-time has been a motivational force for the Richland Rebels’ softball team.
It wasn’t long ago that the Rebels were unsure about their playoff fate. They lost to Euless Trinity, 12-6, to close out the regular season in District 3-6A and dropped into a tie for the final spot with San Angelo Central.
Richland was able to beat Central in a play-in game, 16-6, on April 22, but the Rebels would drop Game 1 to Arlington Martin, the District 4-6A champions, via a walk-off on Thursday.
Rather than going back to work the following day, Stephanie Graham, who is in her first season as head coach, decided to just hang out and watch the movie.
“We’re not doing softball,” Graham told her team. “I really think it motivated them to come out and be ready to go.”
“It really helped us with all the adversity we’ve faced,” Richland junior pitcher Krystal Lindsey said. “No matter what, you’re always going to have a team and they’re going to have your back whether it’s inside your bubble like they were when they came back from the football camp or out in the world facing challenges like everyone else. It definitely inspired us to be the best we can possibly be.”
On Friday, Richland won 4-2 to tie the series. Abby DeSanto drove in two runs, and Lindsey struck out nine batters. On Saturday, the Rebels scored nine runs in the fifth inning during a 12-2 win via run-rule in Game 3 to clinch the bi-district series.
Landri McKittrick singled in two runs, and Aliya Cruz reached on an error to put the Rebels up 3-0 in the third. Alexius Pena and Caroline Durham had back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth, and DeSanto drove in two. Madi McKay and McKittrick capped the frame with two RBI singles. Lindsey allowed three hits and struck out five.
“I feel like coach Graham showed us the movie because no matter what type of challenges there are in a team, you can come back from being tied for fourth place to now going into the second round,” junior second baseman Payge Scoggins said. “In the movie, they had to fight so much to get to the state championship, and this is us fighting.”
Richland (12-16) started district 4-1, but lost five of its final seven games in the regular season.
However, the Rebels are on to Round 2 where they’ll face Midland Lee (21-12) in Trent. Game 1 is set for 4 p.m. on Thursday.
“We’ve had to go through so much, not only physically but mentally just like Remember the Titans,” Scoggins said. “It might not be the same situation, but we’ve had to go through so much adversity as well.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 11:52 AM.