The Grand Junction High School softball team kicked off the season with a new addition to the team.
The Tigers recruited new head coach Scott Else to replace previous head coach Windi Serrano. Else has been a well known fixture in the Western Slope high school softball community for more than a decade. Else retired from coaching in 2020, after more than a decade as Central High School’s head softball coach.
Else has come out of retirement to coach for his alma mater GJHS.
“[Else] was a very successful coach at Central High School, so I reached out to him to ask if he would be interested in coaching our girls [softball team] this year,” said GJHS Dean of Students Tom Lefebre.
Else graduated from GJHS in 1985 and recently attended his 40th high school class reunion.
Lefebre, who attended high school with Else, was a significant factor in influencing Else’s decision to return to coaching.
“I think [Else] has helped, we’re doing a lot better this season,” said GJHS junior softball player Penelope Kuelhorn.
Some of the top players on the team this year are seniors Alexis Walpole and Jaxon Clark, junior Kloe Donahue and sophomore Alysa Lorimar. The Tigers are off to a 5-3 start this season, the same as their 5-3 start last year, which ended in a successful 14-11 season.
The Tigers next home game is against Montrose High School at Kronkright Field. The varsity team will start at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
