For Elmore County softball to reach the state tournament stage would have been unthinkable just two years ago.
The Panthers went a rough 13-26 in 2018, then closed their 2019 season with a 15-3 defeat against Northside after winning just one game in regional tournament play.
kAm%92E’D 2 DE2C< 4@?EC2DE H:E9 9@H t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 6?565 :ED a_a` 42>A2:8?[ 8@:?8 @? 2? :>AC@323=6 CF? E@ D64FC6 E96 D64@?5 2?5 7:?2= DE2E6 BF2=:7J:?8 DA@E 2E E96 %FD42=@@D2 C68:@?2= E@ C6249 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A E@FC?2>6?E A=2J]k^Am
kAmpD DF49[ E96 9625 4@249 H9@ 96=A65 >2<6 DF49 492?86D A@DD:3=6[ |2C< $68C6DE[ 92D 366? ?2>65 E96 a_a` t=>@C6 r@F?EJ r@249 @7 E96 *62C 3J %96 (6EF>A<2 w6C2=5]k^Am
kAm“v@@5 A=2J6CD 2?5 8@@5 4@2496D >2<6 E96 9625 4@249 =@@< 8@@5[” $68C6DE D2:5] “x H2D 3=6DD65 H:E9 3@E9 E9:D J62C]”k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ :D 2 4@>3:?65 dh\`g D:?46 $68C6DE E@@< @G6C 367@C6 E96 r~'xs\D9@CE6?65 a_a_ D62D@?[ :?4=F5:?8 2 cb\`d >2C< :? a_a`]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD >256 :E 2D 72C :? A@DED62D@? A=2J 2D 2?J @E96C E62> :? E96 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 2C62[ H:E9 3@E9 E96> 2?5 t586H@@5 p4256>J H:??:?8 E96:C C6DA64E:G6 7:CDE\C@F?5 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 82>6D 367@C6 36:?8 6=:>:?2E65 :? E96 7@==@H:?8 EH@ C@F?5D]k^Am
kAm&?=:<6 E96 (:=542ED H9@ 4=:?4965 E96:C px$p DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 3:5 3J H:??:?8 E96:C 2C62 E:E=6[ 9@H6G6C[ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 925 E@ DFCG:G6 2D @?6 @7 E96 7:?2= EH@ E62>D :? :ED 6:89E\E62>[ 5@F3=6\6=:>:?2E:@? C68:@?2= E@FC?2>6?E E@ >2<6 :E E@ E96 pw$pp 492>A:@?D9:AD]k^Am
kAm%92E E2D< H2D >256 >F49 92C56C H96? E96 !2?E96CD =@DE E96:C 7:CDE 82>6 @7 E96 %FD42=@@D2 C68:@?2= E@ qC6H32<6C %649]k^Am
kAm“x? 2 D:EF2E:@? =:<6 E9:D[ J@F ;FDE 92G6 E@ 7=FD9 E92E =2DE 82>6[” $68C6DE D2:5 27E6C E96 =@DD] “*@F 42?’E H@CCJ 23@FE H96E96C J@F 9:E H6== @C J@F 5:5?’E 9:E H6==] *@F’G6 ;FDE 8@EE2 4=62C J@FC 9625 2?5 8@ FA H:E9 E96 C:89E 2AAC@249 2E E96 A=2E6 3642FD6 6G6CJ 82>6 :D 2 ?6H 82>6]”k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ 7@F89E 2== E96 H2J 324<[ H:??:?8 7@FC 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6D :? =@D6CD 3C24<6E A=2J E@ BF2=:7J 7@C DE2E6]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 3=@H@FE @7 $:AD6J '2==6J[ ;F?:@C A:E496C pF3C6J p==6? 56=:G6C65 2 D9FE@FE @7 s6>@A@=:D E@ AFD9 E96 !2?E96CD E9C@F89 E@ E96 =@D6CD 3C24<6E D6>:7:?2=D] %96C6 p==6? 2?5 D6?:@C A:E496C |24: rFC=66 4@>3:?65 E@ DEJ>:6 y@9? r2CC@== r2E9@=:4’D @776?D6[ H:E9 p==6? A:E49:?8 EH@ 6IEC2 :??:?8D :? 2 ?:?6\:??:?8[ b\` G:4E@CJ 7@C t=>@C6 r@F?EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD 42AA65 :E @77 3J E2<:?8 C6G6?86 @? qC6H32<6C %649 :? H2=<\@77 72D9:@?]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 366? 7@CEF?2E6 6?@F89 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 2 ?F>36C @7 492>A:@?D9:A E62>D[ 2?5 E9:D @?6 92D 2 DA64:2= A=246 :? >J 962CE[” $68C6DE D2:5 27E6C E96 G:4E@CJ] “yFDE 7@C E96 D:>A=6 724E E92E[ E96 =2DE EH@ E@FC?2>6?ED[ H6’G6 8@EE6? :? E96 =@D6CD 3C24<6E 2?5 7@F89E @FC H2J E9@F89] %96C6’D ;FDE 2 =@E @7 8@@5[ 92C5 H@C<:?8 <:5D @? E9:D E62> E92E 3@F89E :?E@ H92E H6’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 5@ 2E t=>@C6 r@F?EJ]”k^Am
kAmt=>@C6 r@F?EJ 2=D@ 7@F89E 324< 7C@> E96 =@D6CD 3C24<6E :? :ED 2C62 E@FC?2>6?E E@ C6249 C68:@?2=D :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAm%@ 86E E96 E62> E@ 2 A=246 H96C6 :E 4@F=5 4@>A6E6 :? DF49 A@DED62D@? 4@?E6DED[ $68C6DE 2?5 9:D DE277 6DE23=:D965 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E @7 92C5 H@C< 2?5 4@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am
kAmr=62C=J :E A2:5 5:G:56?5D[ H:E9 E96 !2?E96CD C6249:?8 E96:C 7:CDE DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E D:?46 a_`c 2?5 H:??:?8 E96:C 7:CDE DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 82>6 D:?46 a__f[ 367@C6 E96 4FCC6?E DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E 7@C>2E 6I:DE65]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 4C62E:?8 2 ?6H 4F=EFC6[” $68C6DE D2:5] “xE H2D D6EE:?8 2 ?6H DE2?52C5 @7 9@H H6 H2?E65 E@ AC24E:46 6G6CJ D:?8=6 52J] (6 2=D@ H2?E65 E@ :>AC@G6 @FC D4965F=6[ H9:49 H6 5:5]”k^Am
kAm$68C6DE’D DE277 :?4=F56D t=>@C6 r@F?EJ 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C %6CCJ }:49@=2D[ H9@ 96=AD H:E9 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 H@C< 2?5 4@2496D @FE7:6=56CD 2?5 7@C>6C >:?@C =628F6 32D632== A=2J6C rC2:8 '2F89E[ H9@ $68C6DE 42==65 2? “@FEDE2?5:?8” 9:EE:?8 4@249] k^Am
kAm%96J 4@249 2=@?8D:56 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ 2E |@?E8@>6CJ 2==\564256 E62> >6>36C z2J=2 w2=6[ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ’D A:E49:?8 4@249 H9@ E@@< >F49 @7 $68C6DE’D A:E49\42==:?8 5FE:6D @77 9:D A=2E6[ 2?5 w2=6J qC:EE[ H9@ A=2J65 4@==68:2E6=J 2E $96=E@? $E2E6 2?5 96=AD H:E9 9:EE:?8 2?5 7:CDE 32D6>6?] k^Am
kAm“%96 E9:?8 x’> >@DE AC@F5 @7 :D E92E E9:D 4@249:?8 DE277 92D AFE 2 8C62E A=2? :? E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@? E@ 56G6=@A E96 A=2J6CD[” $68C6DE D2:5] “(6 92G6 2 ?F>36C @7 A=2J6CD E92E 2C6 23=6 E@ =:G6 @FE E96:C 5C62> 2?5 A=2J 2E E96 ?6IE =6G6=[ H9:49[ :? >J @A:?:@?[ :D E96 ?F>36C @?6 ;@3 @7 E96 4@249 :D E@ 96=A A6@A=6 249:6G6 E9@D6 8@2=D]”k^Am
kAmx?DE:==:?8 =6256CD9:A H:E9:? E96 E62> H2D 2? :>A@CE2?E A:646 2D H6==[ 2?5 $68C6DE D2:5 E96 E62>’D D6?:@CD 5:5 2 EC6>6?5@FD ;@3 7:==:?8 E92E C@=6]k^Am
kAm%96 !2?E96CD =@D6 7@FC D6?:@CD 7C@> a_a` :? |25:D@? qC:EE[ |24: rFC=66[ z6==6J vC66? 2?5 t3@?6 !:6CD@?[ 2== <6J 4@?EC:3FE@CD E@ E96:C CF?] %96J H:== C6EFC? DE2C A:E496C pF3C6J p==6? 2?5 A@H6C\9:EE:?8 E9:C5 32D6>2? |256=J? q64<6C[ 9@H6G6C[ :? a_aa]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E9@D6 A=2J6CD[ 2>@?8 @E96CD[ :? E@H 2?5 $68C6DE 2?5 9:D DE277 2E E96 96=>[ A6C92AD E96 E62> 42? >2<6 2?@E96C CF? =:<6 :E 5:5 E9:D A2DE D62D@?]k^Am
