LCA’s Reed, Lowery tabbed Lakeway Area Softball Co-Coach of the Year

Lowery guided LCA through the region tournament, winning a region championship and coached the Lions’ all the way to the TSSAA Division II-A State Tournament where they finished third in the state.

With Reed and Lowery splitting the overall season and setting new heights for the LCA program together, they have both been named the Citizen Tribune’s Lakeway Area’s Coach of the Year.

“This is really an honor,” Reed said. “More than anything, It’s a reflection of how our girls have bought into what Lowery and I are trying to accomplish in our program. Lowery is really a co-head coach with me. Without what these girls did and what Lowery did to lead this team in the end, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Lowery and Reed also gave a big shoutout to assistant coaches Peyton Bacon and KaraLynne Levi.

“This is a testament to the hard work our girls have put in,” Lowery said. “It’s not really about us. It’s about our team and how we came together. We couldn’t have done this without Reed, or without Bacon and Levi stepping up like they did this season.”

LCA’s season displayed the perfect season of working as a whole team and growing with each other, not only in the game of softball but in life.

And that is exactly what motivates Reed and Lowery each day to get up and coach their team to the best of their abilities—knowing they can prepare their girls to not only win games but prepare them for life.

“We want these girls to be different,” Lowery said. “Not just in softball but when they graduate and are out in their own life. We want to prepare them and they buy into what we have to teach.”

Reed mentioned her biggest motivation is helping her team grow in their walk with Christ. It has become the most vital aspect of her coaching career.

“I don’t only want to make them better athletes but we are so about their heart and if they know who Jesus is,” Reed said. “We want to make an impact on them for eternity, not just for four years. We want to help them reach their goals, but even more than that, help them grow in their faith. That’s what truly motivates us.”

Lowery, Bacon and Levi are right there with Reed to help the team grow in their faith as well.

LCA finished the season with a 28-6 overall record while going a perfect 10-0 in Division II-A District 1. The Lions rode a 14-game winning streak all the way to the second round of the state tournament and racked up eight run-rule victories in the season.

The 2022 season laid a foundation and set the bar for future LCA softball teams.

“A lot of these girls took a chance,” Lowery said. “You don’t really see that kind of success in a smaller area. They wanted to be a part of something special. They didn’t know what to expect when they came in but they believed in what we had to say. We hope this kind of success continues.”

Looking back on the season, Reed remembers not just the games that brought the team together but the work behind the scenes that grew something special to remember.

“What I remember most is the special bond this team shared,” Reed said. “There were so many days at the end of practice where we wrapped it up, but they stayed. This team loved being around each other. We all fought for one another and worked hard. It all started in August.”