Page County Softball Coach Alan Knight began building his program the year he graduated 🎓 from Eastern Mennonite College (now University) back in 1981-1982.

While the team found a great deal of success over the decades, some very talented teams had their seasons end in the Regional Semi-finals. Or as we refer to it, the Win and you’re In game.

The team in the photo above was a great example. Still one of my favorite photos that I’ve taken, the team had just captured the District tournament after winning the regular season crown 👑 earlier.

These young ladies were laying the foundation for what would become a trio of State Championships in a five year window. Sadly, Covid erased an opportunity for the team to add a fourth trophy 🏆 to the case as it erased a season for a very talented team.

Bum Phillips of the old Houston Oilers talked about standing at the door and the need to kick down said door 🚪. Alan Knight and Assistant Coach Ralph Viafora did just that in 2014. Once they broke through the first time, it became routine.

There is a difference between routine and easy. Once you make a trip to the State Tournament a few times, its easy for a fan base to simply expect it to happen every year.

A great example for this was the 2024-2025 Lady Panthers team that advanced to the State Quarters. The team was very young and started the season at 3-3 before winning 17 straight games. The team worked hard and earned the right to take the trip over to King William High School.

Page County versus King William has been a staple of Class 2 Softball over the past decade. Both State titles in 2014 and 2015, had to be earned by defeating the Cavaliers in the Championship game.

Coach Knight will happily tell you that each team is different from the one before it and the one after it. Sometimes the challenge comes from having people believe that playing in the State Tournament is a given. The hours are endless or so it seems and the dedication required is off the charts.

The Lady Panthers made it to State in 2014 and have returned more often than not in the 11 seasons since then. The challenge is maintaining that level of consistency required to keep the run going.

One thing is for sure, the Carroll County versus Woodgrove State Championship game received plenty of coverage. Both local newspapers 📰 were there ➕ the Roanoke Times and even the Washington Post! And those are just the ones we have found so far.

Craig Worrell is still very much a part of the Lady 👩 Cavaliers Softball program a decade later.

Craig will have his own section in the book 📖 and we are incredibly grateful 🙏 for his participation !

When Rick Nester took over as Head Coach back in 2013, he inherited four coaches that were already in the program. All four were still there 3 years later when they captured the State Championship.

Jeff Tobler and Nester had spent time coaching together prior to the start of the 2013 season so the duo already had some chemistry working side by side.

Also working with the pitchers was David Quesenberry, now the proud Grandfather of current Softball player Addie Greene.

Edwin Tompkins was the assistant Coach for the Junior Varsity team and Hall of Fame Volleyball 🏐 Coach Cindy Edwards was the Head Coach of the Junior Varsity team.

Chuck Thompson was the Principal and the man that created the pairing. Darrin Mathews was the Athletic Director back then.

Two players on the team would join the coaching ranks after graduation 🎓 from college. Softball was in the blood for many back in 2015!