BCHS Trap Gunning for State Championship
Chandler Raymer laughs at himself after a miss. PHOTO | Beverly Bonilla
By Greg Moore
Banner Sports editor
Nestled down deep in Leonard Oak on Bull Creek, the Butler County Conservation Club is the hangout for many of the outdoor enthusiasts that represent Butler County High School in the shooting sport of trap. Coach John Ross Webster was present with many of the Bears last week, as they are every Monday during this spring season, tallying each of the shooter’s scores as they went from station to station saying, “pull” before a clay pigeon is disintegrated.
There are five shooting locations which the marksperson will shoot five clay pigeons from to come up with a score out of 25. Running 25 straight is an expectation from some of these young, hawk-like eyes; although, anyone that has even played Duckhunt on the Nintendo realizes the difficulty it must take to stay poised enough to keep shattering the discs, one by one.
BCHS’s trap team came up just shy of winning a state championship last spring. Marshall County’s 491/500 edged the sharp shooting Bears’ score of 490/500. One bird separated the two schools; so, the emphasis of one at a time is beyond critical. But that’s just a common saying that is a tad bit of the coaching that goes on at the Conservation Club.
Coach Webster may explain to one or the other on how they may be getting too quick to track the target and suggest to slow down a bit. He could tell a shooter to lower the stock positioned unto the shoulder as another simple tip.
Coach John Ross makes his tallies on the score sheet as Carson Cardwell finishes up at a station. PHOTO | Beverly Bonilla
Or it could be more in-depth; Coach Webster may rationalize how being squared with the lower half of the body will allow them to swing their barrel more efficiently in order track a bird flying hard left or right, depending on the station and the dominant hand/eye of the marksperson.
Like any sport, much detail on repetition means everything. Practice nearly makes perfect. And that is exactly what the team has been doing this season. The Bears are also running away from the competition on a weekly basis as the season is in full force.
After two weeks, BCHS is dominating their conference. They’re nearly 300 points ahead of the next team, Bracken County. Seven out of the top ten are BC members. Blake Deweese averages 24.75 on the season for the top rank. Silas Ward is a close 24.50 and Dalton Hale is only a quarter of a point behind Ward. Mason Johnson and Brennan Smith are at the even 24 mark and Carson Cardwell and Jackson Kimbler have a 23.75 average.
In addition, the Bears have about that many or more sharp shooters on the team. And this all bodes well, as does the experience of this group. They will be gunning to be the best in the state in Berea, KY about a month from now. Bring home that state championship, Go Bears!
