Massac County isn't southern Illinois' only state championship hopeful this weekend. Woodlawn, located near Mount Vernon, beat Lewistown 56-44 in Friday's Class A semifinals and will play or a state title on Saturday afternoon at Peoria's Carver Arena.
Woodlawn's coach is Shane Witzel, who was the starting shortstop on the Murray State baseball team that won the Ohio Valley Conference title in 1991. Witzel had a brief foray into minor league baseball — as a pitcher, surprisingly — but returned to his alma mater after getting released by the Cincinnati Reds' organization in the spring of 1994.
"I don't know if I thought I would end up doing this," Witzel said. "When I was younger, I wanted to coach college baseball. I had some good role models — my high school coach, Tom Koppel, and (former 'Breds mentor Johnny) Reagan. They were such quality people, I thought everyone in this profession did things the right way."
Woodlawn is happy that Witzel chose another course of action. He has averaged nearly 20 wins per season in 13 years as the Cardinals' head coach, and this year's team will take a 30-1 record into the championship game against either Macon Meridian or Annawan.
Witzel, 38, was also the school's baseball coach for several years, but relinquished that job last summer. With less demands on his time, he may be able to make it back to Murray sometime.
"I went to Homecoming a couple of years ago and ran into my old second baseman ... I looked at him and he looked at me, and we realized we're a little heavier than we used to be," Witzel said. "I don't get down there or talk to those people as much as I should."
Update: Witzel's Cardinals fell 63-53 to Macon Meridian in the state championship game, hours before Massac County lost to Seton Academy in the Class 2A final.
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