Tiffany Ferrailo
SORSN: The Lady Waves have been on a roll as of late. Similar to last years season where the regular season wasn’t all that great but the team turned up the heat during the post season. Do you foresee a playoff run for this team?
Tiffany: Yes I do. Our team is more united this year. We will carry each other to the playoffs.
SORSN: “Ferrailo” doesn’t seem to be a typical South of the River last name. Did your family migrate here from somewhere north of the bridge? Have you ever thought about hyphenating your last name, “Ferrailo-Davidson” or “Ferrailo-Patterson” to fit in more?
Tiffany: My family came to America from Italy in the 1900’s. My sister and I came to Tennessee when we left Connecticut. I’m proud of my heritage, and even though it sticks out it isn’t a bad thing.
(Ah, a Connecticut transfer…see the interview with former Lady Wave and now Connecticut resident Aimee Tilley under the “Where Are They Now” section.)
SORSN: During your years of playing softball, what is your most embarrassing moment?
Tiffany: The most embarrassing moment I’ve had was last year when I was rounding first and tripped over the base.
SORSN: The players seem to really respond to Coach Mitchell. Tell us what it has been like to play for her.
Tiffany: She is great. Mitchell has made it a point to get close to each of her players. That is why I think we respond so well to her. Playing for her it seems like nothing has changed. Ms. Ladd was the coach, but Mitchell was always the one doing the yelling.
Whitney Parks
SORSN: You had a homerun earlier in the season. Tell us about the play. Was that your first career HR?
Whitney: My homerun was at Harriman, and we weren’t winning by much and there were a couple on base and I knew someone had to step up. I’ve actually had 2 or 3 homeruns in my career.
SORSN: Coaches/teachers always seem to have a “phrase” that is unique to them (i.e. Mr. Hirt, “Hells Bells Guys!”). What is Coach Mitchell’s most used quote?
Whitney: She uses quite a few quotes. Some that she uses often are ones like “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. I’d say that’s my favorite because MHS is little and no one really believes in us but our family.
SORSN: During your years of playing softball, what is your most embarrassing moment?
Whitney: I’ve had a few. My sophomore year I started in left field and right by the fence warning track it was really muddy. I was fielding a ball at the fence and as I was trying to stop, my foot slid under the fence and they had to stop the game to get me out.
(The SORSN staff remembers a similar event back in the early ‘90s. It was a baseball game and the Waves were playing at home. Eric Stone was also playing left field and while trying to field the ball, got his pants leg caught under the fence. They also had to stop the game.)
SORSN: The regular season is almost over. As a senior, do you feel a since of urgency to push hard into the post season to make it a memorable and successful season?
Whitney: Yea, we have lost a few games that we should’ve won then we have won games that no one expected us to. Last year we didn’t have a great regular season record, but we pushed hard when it counted. This year the team plays more like a team and I think everyone would like to have another run at state.