You can’t blame Anni Rohs and Addie McCullers of Woodgrove High in Purcellville, Virginia, if they’re chomping at the bit to finally start their high school softball season today at home against John Champe High.
Reason being: it’s been a long time coming!
The two softball standouts—Annika or “Anni” is a junior infielder committed to Virginia Tech whom we featured in January in an Extra Star Power feature, and Addie, an up-and-coming freshman infielder—helped their basketball team advance all the way to the Virginia Class 5A State championship game where they fell to Menchville High in the title game last Friday in the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
Still, the duo helped their team finish 29-1 and have a great run on the basketball court, including an amazing state semi-final game where the Wolverines trailed by 13 at the half with one of the star seniors injured in the previous game.
Anni helped rally Woodgrove to the win as she nailed three key 3-points and played great defense against Briar Woods High before clinching the win with an inbound pass down the court to a teammate to run out the clock.
Still with one year to go in her prep basketball career, Anni says she’ll forever remember the amazing way the Wolverines made it to the championship.
“My favorite thing about the semifinal game,” Anni said, “was coming in and being able to make the threes to help my team.”
Here’s a video of Anni making one of her treys:
Addie, who has three more hoop seasons to go, is fired up to get back to the playoffs next winter.
“Reaching the state championship was such an awesome experience and it just makes me want to make it back there to compete again during high school,” she said this week. “I was so lucky to play varsity as a freshman because I really looked up to and learned a lot from the upperclassmen.”
Here’s a clip of Addie pulling in a rebound and dishing off to Anni in the championship game:
The two-sport standouts were delayed in joining their softball teams because county rules require athletes to have three tryouts before they can suit up and the Woodgrove high schoolers just finished that final tryout this morning to make the varsity team and compete at home versus John Champe High to open the season.
The kickoff to the Wolverines’ season was supposed to have been Monday but that was pushed back because of snow on the East Coast.
When not playing hoops or for their varsity softball team, Anni can be found spending her Summers competing for the Lady Lighting Gold club program and Addie with Virginia Glory.
Eager to get back to stick and ball play, the two athletes say they will always treasure this past hoop season and the heir run to the finals. Wolverines basketball coach, Derek Fisher, appreciates having had the duo and credits their athleticism for making it a fun year.
“Anni is at her best in the most critical moments,” he explains. “As a multi-sport athlete, she’s been involved in countless close games, both in basketball and softball, and that experience allows her to stay poised and perform without any fear or hesitation. She rises to the moment.”
The basketball leader laments that Anni will be gone in 2022-23 but is excited to have Addie return for next season.
“Addie’s strength is in her versatility,” Coach Fisher continues. “She is able to play multiple positions and perform numerous roles. As a multi-sport athlete also, Addie understands that every game is different and what the team needs from her will also be different. She always ready and her softball experience allows her to adapt to the game-to-game adjustments we need to make.”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
