Category: History

No. 1 Sedgwick County downs No. 2 Sanford to claim record-tying sixth straight 8-man football title

PUEBLO — When it comes to the state record for winning consecutive football championships, Limon has company.

With its 72-32 win over Sanford at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo, Sedgwick County claimed its sixth straight 8-man football championship. The Cougars tie a state record set by Limon in the 1960’s. Sedgwick County, however, becomes the first program to ever win six straight titles in the same classification.

And it got the record in style by adding a championship game scoring record in the process. The Cougars (9-0 overall) broke the championship scoring record of 66 points and did it on a touchdown pass that capped a drive in which coach Chris Michel let his offense call its own plays.

“They’re a special group,” Michel said. “I would’ve taken a 6-0 win with these guys. At the end of the game I promised them a long time ago that in the fourth quarter I’d give them a drive and would let them call their own plays.”

After surviving a a pair of long touchdown runs from Sanford’s Kelton Gartrell, Sedgwick County quarterback Jared Ehmke got his offense in gear.

More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

He threw for four touchdown passes in the first half, with Jaciel Villabolos and Terrance Heath each catching two. The Cougars also got rushing touchdowns from Brody Parker and Kaleb Fowler.

“I have a lot of confidence in my offense and my offensive line,” Ehmke said. “They scored a few but I had faith that we could score a few too.”

While playing in the first state championship game in program history, Sanford (7-1) had no intention of being just a footnote for this historical feat. It was going to make the Cougars earn it. Through just four carries, Gartrell amassed 108 yards and two touchdowns to give the Cougars an early scare.

Sanford kept itself in the game with a halfback pass as Cash Caldon found Ruben Chavez in the back of the end zone to cut the Sedgwick County lead to 22-18.

But the Cougars had the horses to pull away. They scored three straight touchdowns to close the first half, getting a firm grip on Colorado football history.

“It’s going to take a second to really feel like we made history,” Heath said. “Only one other team in the state has done this. It’s going to take a long time for this to set in.”

In a way, the fact that it came during an unpredictable 2020 season was fitting. Because of the nature of the way the season played out during the COIVD-19 pandemic, all football games were moved to CSU-P which gave the 8-man players an experience never before seen at in the classification.

Under the bright lights normally occupied by a national championship winning program, the Cougars put their now all-time great program on display.

“I love the atmosphere here,” Heath said. “Eight-man, 6-man, 1A, we all play at home fields and this is the first time we’ve played on a big field. To win a championship on it is pretty awesome.”

Ehmke’s day ended with five touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player despite solid performances from several players on the team.

“They have a really good offense and we have a really good offense,” Ehmke said. “It was a lot of fun at the beginning. My coach called some great plays, my o-line blocked for me, my wide receivers caught the passes I threw to them so all the credit to them.”

The Cougars historical performance is a fitting cap to a historic six-year championship run, and it’s not necessarily a run that is ready to end.

More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

More photos from the game. (Ismael Gomez)

December 4, 2020
Defensive plays put Eaton out of reach of Lamar to claim 2A football title

PUEBLO — For the entire first half, it felt like both Eaton and Lamar just needed a big play to solidify control of the Class 2A football championship game.

Nothing came in the first 24 minutes, but Eaton’s Ryan Dircksen opted for two massive plays in the third quarter that quickly gave the Reds control and an eventual 28-21 win to give the team its second-ever state football title.

Dircksen blocked a punt setting up Tanner True’s one-yard score and on the next possession nearly sacked Lamar quarterback Zane Rankin in the end zone for a safety. He settled for an intentional grounding call, forcing Lamar to punt the ball from its own one. That play was rewarded later when Juan Maravilla scored from five yards out, his second touchdown of the game.

“That’s how we do it,” Dircksen said. “There are ups and downs all over the place and it’s just about if (the offensive) guys want it or not. We just had to ask what they wanted and that’s what they got.”

Surrendering 21 points doesn’t exactly scream defensive lockdown, but there is no doubt that Eaton doesn’t have a state championship without big plays on the defensive end. The Reds (4-2 overall) kept Rankin contained to just 28 rushing yards and 70 passing yards in the first half.

More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

Eaton was on the board thanks to a Maravilla six-yard touchdown run. But that was the lone score of the first half and Eaton knew that eventually, Rankin would find a way to make his big plays.

“We were up, barely,” True, the game’s Most Outstanding Player, said. “But it was like that last week and we had some tough plays right before half, we were getting down a bit but we just had to stay positive.”

Maravilla’s 68 rushing yards and rushing touchdown for the Reds helped set the early tone. That tone carried over in the second half as he rode the emotional momentum that the defense established.

“Honestly we didn’t make any major adjustments,” Eaton coach Zac Lemon said. “We knew coming into this we just had to do what we do. We weren’t going to do anything crazy or try anything different.”

Lamar (7-2) got on the board with 1:36 left in the third as Rankin finally found space and broke for a 29-yard touchdown run.

That seemed to free up Lamar a bit. The next drive, Rankin found Greyden Martinez for a 71-yard touchdown pass to make it a 21-14 game. Blake Buxton then ripped the ball loose from Maravilla on the first play of the next drive, to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Lemon said.

But the defense again showed up in a big way.

Brogan Barr ended any hopes Lamar had of pulling even as he picked off Rankin on a long 3rd down play and returned it for a touchdown to once again give the Reds a comfortable lead.

Rankin added another touchdown pass, this time finding Buxton from 32 yards out, once again getting Lamar within a score. Eaton’s final offensive drive stalled at midfield, giving Lamar one last chance to either extend the game or get a chance to get the win.

But the game was clinched thanks to a familiar theme. Morgan Tribbett sacked Rankin and knocked the ball loose. Dircksen jumped on top of the ball and held on to it the same way he and his teammates held on to the state championship trophy just a few minutes later.

More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

December 4, 2020
Big plays lift No. 1 Fleming over No. 2 Stratton/Liberty to claim 6-man football title

PUEBLO — Charles Hobbs and Nolan Japp had one job. Don’t let Stratton/Liberty’s Alex Cruz into the end zone.

The Fleming duo allowed Cruz three yards when he needed four on 4th and goal. For their effort, Chris Goss rewarded his teammates by breaking for a 79-yard touchdown run on the very next play, putting the Wildcats firmly in control as they claimed their second straight 6-man football title with a 60-28 over Stratton/Liberty at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo.

“That was going to be a big play that we were going to have and we just happened to use it right then,” Goss said. “It worked out to where my blockers made the hole and I hit it and just went.”

This is the fourth state football championship for Fleming, all of which have been won since 2011. But this version might prove to be the most memorable of the bunch considering the obstacles that all teams had to battle through during a COVID-filled 2020 season.

“This year has been such a roller coaster.,” Fleming coach John King said. “I don’t know how many times since August we’ve been heartbroken. There was a time early in the season and a time about three weeks ago that I had anxiety attacks almost. Every time my phone rang or I got a text, I thought they were shutting us down.”

The call that King was dreading never came. The Wildcats and Knighted Eagles fought their way through the playoffs and notched a special game in history as the first to be played on a weekend where all seven games converged on one location.

Rather than the game being held at a home site as has been tradition, the 6-man title game was the first of all seven games to be play at the ThunderBowl. With the field constructed for a a regulation 11-man situation, a little work had to be done to get it to 6-man specs, but made for an overall great atmosphere for a championship game.

“(6-man) is different because the sidelines aren’t what you normally see,” Goss said. “They had to reconstruct the field a little bit to make it smaller, but I thought it was exciting.”

More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

Cruz sparked the first half scoring run with a 35-yard touchdown to put the Knighted Eagles (6-1 overall) up 8-0 early. The Wildcats (8-0) responded quickly with a 55-yard run from Japp. Cruz added a second rushing touchdown to once again put the Knighted Eagles in front, but that’s when Fleming kicked things into high gear.

Touchdown runs from Hobbs and Goss along with a Kenny Bandy field goal pushed the lead to 28-14 at halftime.

Charlie Clapper sparked Stratton/Liberty early in the second half, breaking for a 41-yard score on the first offensive play of the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-20. But the Wildcats responded quickly as Hobbs scored from 13 yards out to once make it a two-score lead.

And they never looked back.

Hobbs rushed for two touchdowns in the second half, Kade Comstock threw a touchdown pass to Joel Muller and Goss added a late touchdown run of his own to lock up the Wildcats’ second consecutive title.

Hobbs was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player thanks in part to his big stop on defense as well as his three rushing touchdowns.

“I don’t know how to express my feelings right now,” Hobbs said. “It’s not my win, it’s the whole team’s win. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”

As time expired and the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains, the Wildcats used just enough of the remaining sunlight to appreciate the sparkling gold of another championship trophy.

More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

More photos from the game. (Ismael Gomez)

December 3, 2020
Longmont graduate Justinian Jessup selected in the NBA Draft

(Boise State Athletics)

Justinian Jessup, a 2016 graduate of Longmont High School, was selected in the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

Jessup, who went on to star at Boise State and played this summer in the Australian National Basketball League, was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round with the No. 51 overall pick.

Jessup is the 25th former Colorado high school basketball player to be selected in the NBA Draft, and the first since Legend alum Derrick White was taken in 2017. Jessup is the first Longmont alum to be drafted.

At Longmont, Jessup was a two-time first-team all-state selection, including the Class 4A player of the year in 2015. He averaged 14.6 points per game during his career, including 18.3 as a senior. His 309 career steals rank seventh all-time.

Upon graduating, Jessup moved on to Boise State, where he ultimately set school and conference records for three-pointers made in a career with 325. He also set a school record with 98 three-pointers in 2019-20.

Jessup is the only player in Boise State history to collect 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 steals and 50 blocked shots.

(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

November 19, 2020
5A cross country: Wolfe sets course record; Cherry Creek and Mountain Vista claim titles

More photos from the race. (Steve Abeyta)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Rather than jumping at the chance to run the state course over a month ago, Cherry Creek’s Parker Wolfe opted to set a record and earn the fastest cross country time in the state.

When he finally got to the Norris Penrose Event Center for the state meet, another record became his. Wolfe claimed the individual Class 5A state title with a time of 15 minutes, 10.4 seconds, about two seconds faster than Valor Christian’s Cole Sprout ran the race a year ago.

And as soon as he was getting the opportunity, Wolfe had a very specific text message he was planning on sending to Sprout.

“Your course record is gone,” he said with a laugh.

Wolfe has overcome a lot in just this year alone. Before the season he battled through COVID-19, the very virus that gave state cross country and much different feel this year.

As the season he approached, he couldn’t help but feel the anxiety that was coming along with it.

“I didn’t know how it affect my lungs and all that,” Wolfe said. “Coming into the season my goal was to get to that Liberty Bell and get that time and make sure my lungs were still there.”

Wolfe actually lost his footing at the start of the 5A boys race but recovered quickly and put a lot of distance between himself and the field.

The other part of his goal beyond breaking Sprout’s record was to go sub-15. While he didn’t quite do it, he was still pleased with how the race turned out.

“I really wanted to get that sub-15 mark on this course because no one has done it,” Wolfe said. “I went out a little hard and it kicked me in the butt but overall I’m happy.”

It was just the start of a banner day for Cherry Creek.

Wolfe’s performance was backed up on the girls side by Riley Stewart who won the race at 17:33.8. Like Wolfe, she put plenty of distance between her and the rest of the field to get a decisive win.

“Two Creek kids in one day is pretty phenomenal,” she said.

More photos from the race. (Steve Abeyta/steveabeytaphotography.com)

Her win had a bit more luster as the Bruins also claimed the girls team title. As much as Stewart wanted to get that individual win, being able to share a championship with her team was an even better feeling.

“We were runners-up two years in a row,” Stewart said. “To finish first this year and to finally get it is amazing.”

Centennial League rival Arapahoe came in second.

The boys championship once again fell into the hands of Mountain Vista.

“It means everything,” junior Jayden Nats said. “All the workouts that we’ve had and training together like we have, it means the world to feed off each other.”

Nats led was the top finisher – and only top-10 finisher – for the boys, coming in 10th place at a time of 16:11.0

This is the second team title in a row for the Mountain Vista boys and the sixth title overall.

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

October 18, 2020
4A state cross country: Niwot’s Zane Bergen, Air Academy’s Bethany Michalak win titles

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS – The end of the Class 4A boys cross country race was the talk of the course on Saturday morning.

In the final stretch as they approached the finish, Niwot’s Zane Bergen and Green Mountain’s Grahm Tuohy-Gados were in close pursuit of one another. Roughly 50 feet from the finish, the two got tangled up and Bergen fell to the ground before regaining his feet and finishing.

So while Tuohy-Gados crossed first, with Bergen just behind, Tuohy-Gados was disqualified for impeding a runner. It meant Bergen won the state title.

Even though he fell, Bergen’s time of 15 minutes, 29.5 seconds still set the 4A course record, which was previously held by former Niwot teammate Cruz Culpepper.

“It was a pretty physical race the whole way,” Bergen said. “I knew I had a shot to catch him when we were coming into the stadium. I got cut off when I tried to pass him and got tangled up and I fell. But I just knew I had to get up and finish the race for the team.”

Paced by Bergen’s late-race efforts, the Niwot boys won the team championship with a score of 36 and well ahead of runner-up Cheyenne Mountain.

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

In fact, the Cougars took home both the 4A boys and girls team trophies for the second year in a row. For the Niwot girls, it was their third straight year winning the team title. This time, it was a freshman, Mia Prok, who led the way with a runner-up finish and a time of 18:02.4 that helped the Cougars beat Battle Mountain by 38 points with a team score of 55.

Ahead of Prok’s impressive freshman debut was an even more impressive finish by Air Academy freshman Bethany Michalak. Leading the Kadets to a third-place team placing, Michalak won the girls 4A race with a time of 17:59.1.

“It was an incredibly hard race today,” Michalak said. “It was really hot and there wasn’t a ton of shade but I’m really happy with how it turned out. Me and Mia have raced against each other in club a lot, so I knew she was a really amazing runner and a great competitor. With her and Samantha Blair (Eagle Valley), I knew there was going some great competition.

“I’m glad I was able to win.”

More photos from the race. (Brad Cochi)

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

October 17, 2020
3A state cross country: Gunnison’s Alex Baca is school’s first champ; Basalt’s Katelyn Maley claims title

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Alex Baca made school history on Saturday, and what a time to do it.

Baca, a senior, won the Class 3A boys cross country state championship, becoming the school’s first ever cross country champion.

“I’m shaken and blown away, it’s a lot to process,” said Baca. “I’m so grateful, it’s hard to put into words because of how crazy things have been in this world, a lot of people worked very hard to put this on for us and I’m just grateful to even be here.”

Baca crossed the finish line at 16:07, only two seconds in front of second place finisher Joshua Medina of Alamosa.

The course proved to be difficult, and the final stretch forced the runners to push their limits.

“This course is unforgiving and that last quarter is tough,” Baca said. “It’s a gutsy course and you have to be brave and tough.”

Being Gunnison’s first school champion is a huge honor that Baca feel very fortunate to have.

“I just tried to do this for everyone who tried to do this in the past and all my mentors like Colton Stice, who taught me how to run brave,” Baca said with a smile. “I hope Gunnison is proud of me.”

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

Despite a strong effort from The Classical Academy and Holy Family, the Frontier Academy boys proved to be too much on Saturday.

Frontier Academy scored 48 points to repeat as the 3A champions. Their top finisher Senior Abuzaid Fanning came in fourth and the team had four top-20 finishers that helped the team finish on top again.

During the girls race, Basalt sophomore Katelyn Maley turned in an outstanding individual effort to claim the title.

“I’m just feeling very excited and we did very well as a team today, especially since we came in today without one of our main runners,” said Maley. “I was in shock when I crossed the finish line and I was only thinking about getting water.”

Maley crossed the finish line with an impressive 18:39 time, 34 seconds ahead of the next finisher, Kennedy McDonald of The Classical Academy. Approaching the last quarter of the race, Maley had a 24 second lead over all other racers.

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

“The hills and heat were really tough today,” said Maley. “Luckily I kept myself mentally tough and just kept telling myself it would be over soon.”

While Maley may have won the cross country state title, her mind is already looking to the next competition.

“I’m just going to keep grinding till track and field,” Maley said. “Although this season is abbreviated, I’m just glad we got to be here and I’m grateful for everything.”

In the girls team race, The Classical Academy claimed the championship for the second straight year, its twelfth girls team cross country state title in school history.

“I don’t think we felt as much pressure this year, but it just feels really good to be here again and we’ll just keep trying to continue to win,” said McDonald.

TCA claimed that top spot on the toughness of the three top-ten finishes from Kennedy McDonald (second), Cassidy McDonald (eighth), and Sophia Valentine (ninth).

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

October 17, 2020
2A state cross country: Kidus Begashaw wins first title ever for Lotus; Vanguard’s Ella Johnson claims championship

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — What Kidus Begashaw accomplished Saturday was almost unfair.

Begashaw, a senior from Lotus School for Excellence in Aurora, easily outpaced the competition to win the 2A Boys Cross Country State Championship by 30 seconds with a mark of 16:17.

Facing runners that had been training to win a state title for many years, Begashaw came quite literally from nowhere, becoming a state champion after only discovering distance running six months ago.

“I saw (2019 state champ Isaac Roberts of Lyons) do this last year, and I told myself, I want to do that,” Begashaw said. “I said I’m going to work hard for that, train hard, and now I became a state champion.”

Begashaw also became the first Lotus runner ever to become a state placer, let alone a state champion.

Before discovering running, his passion had always been basketball and soccer. Playing as a midfielder in soccer, Begashaw learned he had superior speed and endurance.

Now, after trying cross country and succeeding at a high level, Begashaw’s post-high school goals have changed from soccer to running.

“Now I’m going to focus on running in college,” Begashaw said. “I mean, I’m Ethiopian. It’s in my blood.”

More photos from the race. (Brad Cochi)

Much like Begashaw, Vanguard’s Ella Johnson came out of nowhere to emerge as the 2A girls cross country state champ, utilizing a late kick in a remarkable comeback win.

For much of the race, Johnson trailed Buena Vista’s Zaila Smith and Peyton’s Eowyn Dalbec, who were running side-by-side in what was shaping up to be a potentially exciting finish to the girls’ 2A title race.

“They had such a lead on me, and they were so so far ahead, I thought I was done,” Johnson said. “This is super unexpected.”

With 800 meters to go, Johnson managed to make up ground late, climbing the final hill before the finish line to win by a remarkable nine seconds over Dalbec with a mark of 19:34, her season best.

“I thought I wasn’t ever going to get close,” Johnson said. “But then they started to slow down, and then I said to myself, I’m so close. I need to catch them, and I did.”

With the win, Johnson became Vanguard’s first ever state champion.

A first-time team champions was also crowned Saturday.

On the girls’ side, Buena Vista claimed its first team title, led by third-place finisher Mallory Salazar, and flanked by three finishers in the top 12.

Heritage Christian won its third boys state championship, barely edging Lyons by five points to win the crown. Despite not having a single finisher in the top 10, four runners in the top 30 helped deliver the crown.

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

More photos from the race. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

October 17, 2020
5A softball: After coming up short before, Fossil Ridge claims elusive title

More photos from the game. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — There was a brief moment when Fossil Ridge was trailing Cherokee Trail after the first inning that coach Dave Philop couldn’t help but think that he was reliving a nightmare.

Each year it seems like the Sabercats are a favorite claim the Class 5A softball state title and they’ve often come away empty-handed or with the second-place trophy. This time, a fourth inning rally ripped him out of the nightmare and into his dream ending for his team.

A 5-1 win over Cherokee Trail finally put gold in the hands of a Fossil Ridge program that has felt so much disappointment in recent years.

“This group is kind of a younger group than what we’ve had,” Philop said. “They’ve just keep playing and we’ve worked with them on that. We play seven innings and 21 outs.”

That certainly helps keep a team patient in a situation where pressure can feel like it’s mounting.

The Sabercats (18-3 overall) fell into an early hole when Ryleigh Cruz started the game off with a double and scored on a Brooke Scott base hit. For the next few innings, Jenna Medhus looked unhittable, even three hitters in the bottom of the second.

That’s where the 21 outs mentality came in handy. Nikki McGaffin reached base on an error in the bottom of the fourth. Zaelyn Harding came in as the courtesy runner and scored on a Bella Forbes single to tie the game.

Lizzy Browning’s 2-RBI single broke the game open and gave Fossil Ridge a 4-1 lead and move the team closer to its first softball title.

“I knew we could do it,” Browning said. “I was feeling a little pressured, but I believed in my team.”

More photos from the game. (Dante Williams)

Once the lead was in hand, it was McGaffin’s turn to look dominant. She allowed just one base runner over the final three innings, ending any hope of a Cherokee Trail (17-4) comeback. She ended her day giving up just six hits and the one unearned run.

She only struck out two hitters and had complete belief in the defense that was standing behind her.

Kodi Alvord added to the Fossil Ridge lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, but even as the Sabercats went into the top of the 7th with a four-run lead, McGaffin couldn’t help but wish it was just a tad more.

“In the regular season four feels pretty good,” she said. “Last year we were up seven and that still didn’t feel good. No lead is big enough in a state championship.”

At least until that final out is made.

This was the fourth title game appearance for Fossil Ridge and the second in a row. The appreciation this team has for its newly won state title comes mostly in part to having fallen short on more than one occasion.

“It feels amazing,” Alvord said. “We put all of our hearts into the game and we did it for our coach because he’s come here every year for a long time and never got it. We played our hearts out and did what we did.”

More photos from the game. (Dante Williams)

October 10, 2020
3A softball: Ross leads Eaton to first state championship

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

AURORA — The chase is over for Eaton’s softball team and head coach Dale Hughes.

The Reds captured their first Class 3A championship, and brought their coach to tears, as they defeated Lutheran, 5-1, Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.

“I’ve spent 17 years chasing that damn trophy,” said an emotional Hughes as he watched his team celebrate with their families, friends and each other. “Gosh! I feel so happy! It’s a big weight off my shoulders. What do they call that … ‘Always a bridesmaid, never a bride’? Well, we got it done this year.”

Freshman pitcher Sadie Ross, who is all of 13-years-old, was dominant in the win for Eaton. She struck out 12 while allowing just one run in the complete-game win.

Ross, who drove in the game’s first run with a scorching ground-rule double in the bottom of the first inning, also fulfilled a promise she made to her coach at the beginning of the season.

“I’ve been told many a time that she doesn’t shy away from the pressure, and she showed it today,” Hughes said. “She’s been wanting this for awhile. Her big sister (Remington) played for us and was with us a couple of times when we came up short.

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

“Sadie came up to me at the beginning of this year and said ‘Coach, we’re going to get ‘er done,” he revealed.

The top-seeded Reds, who advanced to their third title game with a 15-3, four-inning victory over Brush in the semifinals, finished second in 2015 and 2018 (falling both times to Strasburg).

Ross wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“It has been a long ride. We worked so hard for this, and it feels amazing,” she said. “I knew this year was the year we would go all the way. I’ve seen this team get so close in the past. It’s time that we have one.”

Senior third baseman Jenny Jarnagin was 2-for-3 in the championship game and scored two runs, including one on a massive home run to right-centerfield that iced the game for Eaton.

“It feels awesome,” she raved after the game. “We’ve been working hard for four years to get this. We were here my sophomore year, too, and when we didn’t win, it sucked bad.

“It feels awesome right now knowing that our hard work paid off,” Jarnagin added. “Mentally, we were always able to stay positive today. Even when they (Brush and Lutheran) scored runs, we didn’t get down. We just kept scoring runs and battling back.”

Lutheran, the No. 3 seed in just its first year as a program, defeated defending champion University in the other semifinal (14-3 in five innings) to advance to the championship game.

But the day belonged to Hughes, Ross and the Reds.

“I’m so happy for our seniors,” Hughes said. “They really led the way this season with their leadership.”

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

October 10, 2020