Every year, roughly 120 Division One Softball players are blessed with the opportunity to play the game they love 💘 at the highest level possible. Oklahoma City is the long time host to the College World Series of Softball and each season eight deserving teams earn the right to play in front of 10,000+ fans.

When Kate Gordon signed with James Madison University apon graduating from Page County High School, folks questioned why someone with her skill set would choose to play at a university without a true pedigree. That very question was asked by a reporter on her signing day?

Fast Forward to Kate’s Senior season and the Dukes were heading to Knoxville, Tennessee for the Regional tournament. When JMU advanced to the Super Regional to face the Missouri Tigers 🐅, the team was on the cusp of becoming one of just a handful of teams to earn a trip to the promise land without a seed by their name.

  After a edge of your seat 💺 Best 2 out of 3 victory in Columbia, JMU advanced to the CWS for the first time in School history! The only downside was they would open against the Dynasty of Oklahoma University. This version of the Boomer Sooners might have been their most dominant season as it was a shock if they actually played a full seven innings to win a game.

Gordon won the game in extra innings with a Home Run that made two things possible. It gave me the most read story that I have ever written ( with some help from Chris Graham and his Agusta Free Press) and the second thing was it lead Sports Center that night.

  There will be pages and pages about that day on OKC, no questions about that but today its about two people that weren’t in Oklahoma that day. Head Coach Alan Knight and little Sister Maddie Gordon. Page County High School was set to play their final regular season game at Stonewall Jackson High School around the same time but a victory would have been secured without Coach and team leader as the Generals were far from competitive at the time.

  Not wanting to do anything that would be a distraction to his current team and its bid to give the School its fourth State Championship, both stayed at home.

I have no idea how many High School Softball teams there are every year in the World. I do know that 120 players from that group get to play in OKC each season and most coaches will not ever have the opportunity to watch one of their players perform on that stage.

Aaron Sorkin began his writing ✍ career with the Classic, A Few Good Men and it included a line from Demi Moore to Tom Cruise that fits this situation in a spot on manner. ” They’re fanatical about being Marines”

Some folks Coach High School Softball while others run a program. Then you have a third category for people like Coach Knight – Fanatical…

Baseball and Softball are both played at so many levels, from Tee Ball to the Majors. This also means that the cost of admission has a wide range, going from free to $100.00.

One thing about Major League Baseball is the stand on the ability of the game to stand on its own. This means that they offer very little in the way of bonus entertainment. For that reason alone, its where my love for Minor League Baseball comes from, they are trying hard to draw fans to their venue.

Friday and Saturday night 🌙 were spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the AAA ball club of the Colorado Rockies. The team name is even fun as they are the Isotopes and Orbit is their Mascot.

One thing that they have that will never apply to College or High School is the small scale amusement park that sits beyond the centerfield fence.

Las Vegas has a swimming 🏊‍♂️ pool in centerfield and Norfolk has a full blown restaurant with great views of the entire stadium. Again, things that won’t apply at the lower levels.

Something that could apply at say, Bill Worrell Field is the siren 🚨 that sounds every time the home team clears the fences with a Bomb 💣.

The Mascot aspect is a favorite of mine but that depends solely on the person wearing the costume.

 

Atmosphere is King 🤴in the world of sports, especially at the High School level once you get beyond Football. Football 🏈 is a once a week Social Event that look forward to attending. Everyone else is trying hard to give folks a reason to pay $7.00 to watch a ball game / event.

Loving parents and family members will attend as often as possible so the focus is on getting others to have a reason to attend. Free Parking is a ➕, friendly Concession Stand staff and food is another. Great atmosphere does wonders.

The flight ✈️ to Denver is ready to depart so I  will pick this back up after landing.

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 !