Savannah Trap Team prepares for Districts as season nears end

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV) -- On any given Sunday, the crack of shotguns can be heard across the practice range as members of the Savannah trap shooting team hone their craft.

With district competitions approaching on March 28, these student-athletes are putting in the work regardless of weather conditions.

For head coach Doug Johnson, watching his team develop is its own reward.

"They come out in crummy weather, windy, cold days, they come out and practice," Johnson said. "This is great because it's a good program, and I'm glad they do."

Johnson, along with fellow coach Sean Farrell, leads a dedicated group of students who've embraced a sport that requires as much mental preparation as physical skill.

"This is a head game," Johnson explained. "It takes a lot of practice. They've got to mentally prepare themselves, and then physically have to do the job of mounting the gun and busting targets."

For many team members, trap shooting is a family affair.

Sister and brother duo Natalie and Carter Farrell are among those following in family footsteps.

Natalie, a senior, joined because her older sister participated and her father serves as a coach.

"He kind of made me do it," Natalie admitted, though she quickly added, "Do I enjoy it? I do, yeah, it's really fun."

Carter, a freshman, similarly noted that with his dad coaching and both sisters having participated, "I wanted to try it out, and it was pretty fun."

Addi Emmendorfer, a senior, shares a similar story. "My older brother did it, and my parents kind of made me do it, but I've learned a lot from this, and I really enjoy it. I think it's a really good sport to get into if you want to learn something new."

Freshman Rider Johnson, whose sister is a senior on the team, discovered the sport through FFA and his sister's involvement, and through a love of hunting. "I like shooting guns, because who doesn't." he said.

All upperclassmen reported significant improvement since their freshman years, when many first picked up a shotgun.

Natalie and Addi both cite personal bests in the lower 40s out of 50 targets.

"It's really just a self sport," Addi said. "You go out there and you do it yourself, and you shoot the best you can and hope it's better than someone else's."

The team competes in area trap shoots through FFA, facing off against schools like Maryville at KCTA.

While trap shooting may not command the same attention as basketball or football, team members appreciate the recognition they've begun receiving.

"A lot of people don't know what it is," Addi acknowledged. "They asked me, like, 'What do you do?' and I'm like, 'I shoot a shotgun at an orange clay, and you hope you hit it.'"

Carter Farrell estimated that nine times out of ten, fellow students wouldn't know what trap shooting is.

Still, the team has started gaining recognition from their school in recent years. "I think that's pretty awesome that we've kind of grown and shown the school what we are," Addi said.

When waiting for the clay target to launch, shooters described a state of focused calm.

"My mind pretty much goes blank," Natalie said. "I try to focus on just one spot, and I just lock eyes on the target and hope I can hit it."

Addie takes a different approach. "I kind of don't think when I'm up there. Sometimes I'll sing a song in my head, just to kind of get myself distracted and just focus in on it."

For the younger shooters like Carter, it's about routine. "You got to get perfect routine. Same thing every time. Just get up there, focus up and aim at the target." Ryder keeps it simple. "I just go up there and try and shoot it, and if I hit it, I feel pretty happy. But if I miss, I'm like, 'Got the next one though.'"

With districts coming up on March 28, the team continues its weekly Sunday practices.

While freshmen like Carter and Ryder won't compete at state this year, they're building skills for future seasons.

"I see myself in both ways," Ryder said of competing versus shooting for fun. "I want to compete because I want to get better at this sport. If I would have the opportunity to go to districts or go to state, then I would try my best and really love the sport for its competition."

Coach Johnson, who appreciates his team's dedication, summed up his feelings. "I absolutely appreciate everything they do for this team."