By Derrick Smith

Athletes put in a lot of time and train hard in order to be outstanding at the sport or sports they play. While they may practice playing at a certain position, they have to be ready to step in wherever and whenever they are needed. Jackson Caddell is a dual-sport athlete for Chisholm High School, and he says that his favorite moment from his career has been when he covered for a teammate and had a solid game.

“The highlight of my career is probably when we played against Oklahoma Christian School this year, and at that point I was typically an infielder,” he said. “However, the coach needed someone to play outfield, so I stepped up. The first inning in and I got hit an easy pop-up; the next batter up hit a pretty good shot towards left center. So, I booked it across the field and made a diving catch. This catch would be one of the events that lead to me earning my position in the outfield.”

Caddell is a sophomore and plays both baseball and football for the Longhorns. Every time he steps out onto the field, Jackson says that there is always one person that is on his mind.

“I would have to say that the biggest role model for me is my great-grandpa Wayne,” he said. “I didn’t get much time with him considering that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was around five years old. However, I have heard many stories of how awesome he was and how much he loved his family.”

When it comes to opponents, Jackson says that he is always ready to play anyone. But he does say that there is one team that he enjoys going up against the most. 

“Alva is definitely a team I always look forward to beating,” he said. “They always have a pretty good baseball team, and they are a rival of ours in every sport.”

Becoming the athlete he is today has not just happened overnight. Instead, Caddell says that it takes a lot to be your best.
“You have to be willing to put in the extra work outside of practice,” he said. “That is one thing I have done to make myself better for my team.”