Things looking up for the Lady Rebels on the softball diamond
By Ken Lay
For years, West High School’s softball team has struggled on the diamond.
The Lady Rebels have had seasons when they struggled to even field a team as interest in the program waned. They had some years where they were able to compete.
One of the program’s players, Caitlin Ryan, played for the Lady Vols. Ryan played for Tennessee from 2005-07, and following her collegiate career, Ryan returned to serve as an assistant coach for the Lady Rebels under Wayne Mayes.
West had periods of success under Mayes. After he left the program, the Lady Rebels had a revolving door of coaches and became the doormats.
But now, under head coach Brandy Weaver, the Rebels are enjoying their best season since the late 2000s.
Success has been modest in 2025 as the Lady Rebels had an 8-9 overall record at press time. West, however, is no longer mired in the cellar in the District 4-3A standings. The Lady Rebels have four league wins as they’ve swept both Hardin Valley Academy and rival Bearden.
“I think this is probably the best season that we’ve ever had,” Weaver said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever swept Bearden and Hardin Valley,” said Weaver, who was named head coach midway through the 2024 campaign after Casey Humphreys left the program. “When I took over, we were getting run-ruled all over the place.
“Casey tried to turn things around, but you can’t keep everybody happy and he’d had enough.”
When Weaver took over as head coach last season, the Lady Rebels won her first game which was against Oak Ridge.
Still, the struggles continued in league play.
This season, things started to change early as West opened the 2025 campaign with a 4-0 victory over the Lady Hawks as junior pitcher Brooke Weaver hurled a six-hit shutout. She had four strikeouts and walked one over seven innings.
Weaver, Brandy’s daughter, has been key to West High’s success.
“When Brooke came in, she struggled. Then, she started going toe-to-toe against some of the best pitchers,” Brandy said. “Our keys to success have been our pitching and our defense.
Offense and depth have been obstacles, but the Lady Rebels can no longer be overlooked as they have played competitive games against William Blount, Farragut and others.
“We have 13 people on our roster and one is a student manager,” Coach Weaver said. “And if I could just get our hitting going, we could be a little better.
“Our girls are working hard and I want to brag on them. We have one senior and that’s our first baseman. She’s our power hitter and she doesn’t make a lot of errors. She’s a very solid first baseman.
West has a pair of top outfielders in left fielder Joli Bush and center fielder E.B. Bibee.
“We have two solid outfielders and they don’t let things get by them deep,” Coach Weaver said. “I’m very pleased with our outfielders.”
Offensively, Jenkins carries a powerful bat but the Lady Rebels have one of the area’s top contact hitters in freshman designated player Claire Davenport.
“Claire is a solid and great contact hitter,” Coach Weaver said. “She leads us in batting average.”
As Brandy Weaver continues to build the program, she remains upbeat even during the tough times. She was a pitcher for Bearden during her high school career and she played for the legendary Mark Blevins.
“Like these girls, I’ve played the game and I know what it’s like to struggle and get frustrated,” Brandy said.
