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 !

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!

Fluvana, Woodgrove (Purcellville) and Charlottesville have a few things in common, including the fact that all three are a poke from The Hill.

Carroll County High School started their weekend trip by heading north to Fluvana County for the Regional Semi-final game. This contest is known by another name, Win and Your In as the two Semi-final winners 🏆 both advance to the State Tournament.

Coach Nester sent Sydney Nester to the circle and the freshman hurled another shutout against a talented team, playing on their own diamond 💎.

Already along way from Cavalier Park and playing the next day up in Purcellville at Woodgrove, the team loaded up the Bus and headed further North.

Coach Nester and his coaching staff were aware that the Regional final was playing with house money 💰. The group as a whole had predetermined that Gracie Davidson would pitch against Woodgrove in place of Nester. Winning the game would have given CCHS a shiny trophy 🏆 for the case back home but by this point the staff was all-in on the idea 💡 of winning the next trophy.

Davidson pitched an outstanding game as the #2 pitcher / second baseman limited the talented home team to just two runs. The problem was the Lady Cavaliers finished the day with just two hits.

Now, Nester just needed Woodgrove to win their State semifinal game and for his team to do the same.

In most cases the voting for All-Region wouldn’t make the radar but on Sunday in Hooville is when the Woodgrove Head Coach realized that while he sent his Horse 🐎 to the mound, Nester hadn’t.

Scouting back then wasn’t what it is now and the move was a mastermind bait and switch, giving the Lady Cavaliers a distinct advantage. But for the move to work, both teams needed to win their next game.

After the meeting, the Nester’s finally

returned to the village of Laurel Fork.

11 hours, 20 minutes suggested to cover the 611 miles. But the long weekend put the Lady Cavaliers on the brink of their initial State Championship.