Baseball fans know that behind every great pitcher is a great catcher, and thatâs indeed the case at West Wilkes High School with Riley Ledford and Braxton Church.
Ledford, a southpaw hurler, and Church, his longtime backstop, recently made decisions to continue their hardball careers at Queens and Appalachian State universities, respectively.
Their coach, Drew Ward, tells me their chemistry extends beyond the baseball diamondâtheyâre best friends who have been playing together since the age of 7. In fact, you might think theyâre brothers if you didnât know any better.
âThere is a friendly rivalry of sorts there that develops between brothers, and that is exactly what they have become on and off the field,â said Ward. âRiley is Braxtonâs biggest fan, and Braxton is Rileyâs biggest fan, even though they get after other at times.â