RAYLEE MC CARTER-TAHLEQUAH
Coming from an athletic family, playing sports was probably destined for Tahlequah sophomore Raylee McCarter.
“My dad played baseball and wrestled in high school and my mom played basketball, so when I was little they put me in lots of activities. I was in T-ball, soccer, basketball and dance but softball and basketball were the ones that stuck. Soccer was too much running,” laughed Raylee. “I like both sports since I’ve played them both since I was about three, but I probably lean a little more towards softball because I think I’m a little better at it. I’ve played first base, third base, shortstop and outfield and I prefer playing third, but I’ll play whatever works best for the team.”
Coach Chris Ray likes the versatility that Raylee brings to the team.
“She’s a very hardnosed and disciplined player that can play several positions which will help us since we have more bodies out now.”
Even being shorthanded didn’t stop the Lady Tiger fast pitch team when Raylee made it to high school.
“Last year we didn’t have a lot of players in softball, but we still made it to the state tournament. This year we had a lot more freshmen and transfers and we molded into the great group which is kind of rare for a bunch of girls and we made it to the second round of state,” McCarter said. “Going to state these last two years has been quite an experience. Last year we played Piedmont in the first round, and it was a little intimidating for me because I was playing third base and their fans were right in my ear. This past fall we played Coweta in the first round and beating them and moving on really gave us a glimpse of what it would be like to win the whole thing. And even though we lost the next day, I know we now believe we can go all the way next year.”
Turning to basketball, the Lady Tigers have been a .500 team this year, but Raylee thinks things will improve.
“We’ve had problems beating some of the better teams like Durant and Glenpool, but I don’t think we’ve played our best basketball yet,” said Raylee who is also involved in the National Honor Society and Oklahoma Student Indian Society.
Raylee plans to take the spring off and not play slow-pitch but looks forward to leading the charge for the fast pitch team next fall.
