New Lafayette Baseball and Basketball Coach’s 2020-2021 Season

The Lafayette baseball team had an electric 2019 baseball season. With going 19-7 and winning both the regional and state championships under head coach Rick Shank. This was Coach Shank’s 2nd state championship in the past 5 years as he won it in 2015 as well. After the 2019 season though, Shank retired as the head coach and for the 2020 season, Jason Basanes was chosen as the new head coach. With COVID-19 canceling the 2020 high school baseball season, Coach Basanes decided to move down from the head coaching spot and go else where.

Matt Mills as his head assistant coach, was likely the next man for the job. Coach Mills has done his time working up the chains in the program as he has been as the JV head coach and varsity assistant for the past 5-6 years. He seems to be very comfortable with filling in as the new head coach with the experience under his belt. Marty O’Brien said, “Matt Mills feels his familiarity with the players should make for a seamless transition.”

As Coach Mills knows many of these players, he is looking to keep the tradition alive here at Lafayette. With a very young and unexperienced team for the 2021 season, he has his work cut out for him after 6 seniors graduated. There are two returners from the state team as South McDowell who will do most of the time behind the dish this year, and Luke Hanson who will continue to toe the rubber and hit for the rams. Matt Mills says, “Since coming to Lafayette in 2015, I have seen the program and the culture of the school, and it’s a place I wanted to call home.” Hopefully COVID-19 doesn’t cancel the 2021 season as Coach Mills seems excited to get the team back out on the diamond for the season.

Bobby Woollum, resigned from the head coaching spot as he wanted to focus on his job in the athletic department at CNU. George Piggott, is the new head coach here at Lafayette High School. Now that winter sports are canceled though, Coach Piggott will have to continue to seek out ways to continue strengthening the program during the off time.

Piggott who graduated from Lafayette almost twenty years is thrilled to be back where it all started. “It’s wonderful,” he said of being named Lafayette’s coach. “It feels like perfect timing to come back 20 years after graduating.” He is a mental health counselor which plays a role in sports as well as basketball is a game which requires mental toughness.

After he was an assisted here at Lafayette many years ago, he coached JV and was a varsity assistant for Jamestown for 12 seasons. Before coaching though, Coach Piggott could ball himself. In his time at Lafayette, he helped the Rams win two district championships, and in his sophomore year he made an amazing play as he made a steal and score to clinch the win over undefeated Bruton in 1999.

With winter sports not happening this year, who knows what the program will look like for Piggott in his years to come. He does have a lot of experience under his belt though, and truly feels that he will continue his legacy as a coach. The LHS community can’t wait to see what he has in store for the basketball program!