Unknown turns into deep playoff run for Steve Luke
The Lady Jackets finish third in the Class AA state tournament under the long-time Rockmart coach
When the 2019 prep softball season got underway, Rockmart head coach Steve Luke wasn’t sure how it was going to pan out.
Midway through the season, however, he saw something special in his team.
“We got better every game, and at about the 20-game mark, we realized we were actually good and things started clicking,” Luke said. “They were working hard and making my job easy.”
For the efforts he showed in taking his team deep into the playoffs, Luke has been named the Rome News-Tribune Softball Coach of the Year.
Luke had a lot of experience on his team with seven seniors leading the way — three of which were named to the RN-T All-Area First Team.
However, after last year’s exit in the second round of the state softball playoffs just one year after being crowned state champions, Luke wasn’t sure what to expect.
“This year we started off with some injuries and we played a whole bunch of kids,” Luke said. “We didn’t make any goals. We just wanted to go out and get better and play hard. That’s what we did.”
Luke led the Lady Jackets to their fourth straight Region 7-AA title, a fourth straight playoff appearance and a 29-4 overall record in a season that saw them take third place in the Class AA state softball tournament.
Even with the seniors on the way out, Luke is optimistic about next season and the players he has coming back.
“I believe we’re reloading,” Luke said. “It’s sad to see seven go, but I couldn’t receive any award without the team we had.”