Lady 'Pack learns from assistant's diagnosis

Greenbrier's softball season always begins with a slogan. It's some sort of saying or one-liner to help motivate the girls throughout the year.

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Head coach Garrett Black, his assistant Mark Moseley and the Lady Wolfpack had no idea how appropriate this year's message would be.

"Every year, Garrett and I work hard to come up with a slogan or a motto," Moseley said. "This year, it's 'So what?'"

It's a simple two-word phrase the girls have muttered under their breath during hot, humid practices and weight training workouts, and have screamed at the top of their lungs before and after each game.

It's not apathetic, as it might sound.

"We use it as - it's hot outside? So what? Or we have a big test tomorrow and we're tired? So what?" Black said. "We've put it on dog tags and the girls wear it."

The phrase took on a whole new meaning in late June.

Moseley, an assistant coach for the Lady Wolfpack softball program the past eight years, was diagnosed with colon cancer.

The 53-year old coach was looking at surgery, daily radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

"It's kind of scary," Black said. "You hear about cancer all the time, but then it hits home with someone you care about, and it takes on a new meaning."

Suddenly, the Lady Wolfpack's new phrase meant something else, too.

Moseley's medical problems have boosted Greenbrier's motivation factor to a new level.

"Now we're saying, 'Yeah, it's hot out here. So what? Coach Moseley's going through radiation,'" Greenbrier senior Sara Oland said. "Since that happened, we don't think negative. We know he's going through worse stuff than the heat."

Moseley is active at Greenbrier. Not only has he helped lead the softball team for eight years, but he also has served as a Greenbrier Booster Club president, sat on the school council and judged senior projects.

The diagnosis of colon cancer has slowed down Moseley, but he has kept his position as assistant lay coach for the Lady Wolfpack. He must wear a chemotherapy pump that allows for round-the-clock treatment, but that didn't prevent him from braving the heat during a recent 6-2 win over Elbert County.

He was there, seated on an overturned bucket in the dugout, taking care of the lineup and keeping score.

"I'm really surprised he's come out as many days as he has," Greenbrier senior Elizabeth Gaston said. "I know that he loves being out there, but with the whole radiation and chemo thing I know it's hard to come out."

Moseley couldn't make it when Greenbrier started the season with a tournament in Madison County. The Lady Wolfpack won the tournament with six wins in a row.

"When I couldn't go to Madison County it killed me," Moseley said.

"The neatest thing was after they won that tournament, I was sitting in my chair, and it had been a bad day.

"The phone rang, and it was all the seniors. They told me who hit what and everything. It was great. They talked to me for 30 minutes."

Greenbrier currently holds a Class AAAA No. 2 state ranking with an 8-0 record. Region play begins Tuesday with a home game against Statesboro.

Moseley's story appears to be heading toward a positive outcome.

His current treatments are intended to kill the cancer and a surgery in October should prevent it from returning.

That will force him to miss the state playoffs, but Moseley said the treatments typically have about a 95 percent cure rate.

He said his chances are even higher with the Lady Wolfpack's support.

"I love the game, I love the school, but it's the kids," he said. "Every year I've got 30 daughters. That's the way I look at it. They keep me young."