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Best of the Best: A look back at District 8-5A softball
By Kevin Hageland, Justin Thomas and Matt Welch
Staff Writers
The past two years were a special time for the athletics wing of the Plano, Allen and Lewisville ISDs.
In joining forces under the District 8-5A umbrella, Plano East, Plano Senior, Plano West, Allen, Flower Mound, Flower Mound Marcus, Lewisville and Hebron combined for 28 UIL State Championships, many more state tournament or state meet appearances, a laundry list of all-state selections and an environment as competitive as any in the state.
The series wraps up with softball, where Plano went undefeated to win the district title in 2011 before splitting it with East in 2012. That season, all four playoff teams advanced to the regional quarterfinals and both regional finals slots were filled by 8-5A.
"Being in this district has been like being in the SEC," said Debbie Evans, Allen head coach. "The strength of the district was phenomenal, but that can be tough because there was never a night when you could let up or play additional kids you'd like to get in.
"Every game was a big game."
While many districts claim to be the best at a particular sport, the overall records, state and national rankings, and playoff dominance made it hard to argue that any softball district in Texas, and perhaps the country, was better than 8-5A.
"We knew the district was going to be tough coming in two years ago," said Mike Ledsome, West head coach. "All eight teams were well respected, so you knew if you made it to state, or even the playoffs, you had earned it. It really was an honor to play in District 8-5A."
Here is a look back on the highlights (in chronological order) of the past two years.
Plano Senior defeats Hebron, 3-2
May 14, 2011
Plano, which lost to Hebron in the 2010 Region I Finals, got its revenge a year later by taking the decisive game of their best-of-3 regional quarterfinal series.
This game also ended the career of Hebron's coach.
"Yeah, this is the last game for me," said Sue Dunn, former Hebron head coach after the game. "But other than maybe winning a state title, I couldn't have asked for more from these girls. I'm proud of the way they stayed in the game and fought today."
Game 3 started 14 hours after the 13-inning second game of the series concluded.
And somehow Lady Wildcats pitcher Kat Batey and Lady Hawks hurler Heather Stearns continued to dominate their respective circles with a solo homer from Plano's Jill Holub the lone run until the fifth. There, Batey hit a blast over the left-field fence to make it 3-0.
Hebron's Chelsea Herndon responded with a two-RBI hit in the sixth to make it 3-2.
The Hawks upped the tension in the bottom of the seventh when Morgan Butler, who was the hero in the deciding game of 2010's regional finals, came to the dish with two outs and one on.
"When I saw it was [Butler] coming to the plate, I was like, 'are you kidding me," Cynthia Zea, Plano head coach, said after the game.
Batey got a pop out to first base to end the game, the series and Dunn's coaching career while continuing Plano's march to its first Class 5A State Tournament.
"I was hanging on every pitch because [Hebron] is just so good," Zea said. "I think this just solidifies how solid 8-5A was this season."
Plano East defeats Plano Senior, 8-7
April 17, 2012
This wasn't just a matchup between two of the best teams in the state, but in the nation as Plano East came in ranked No. 15 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association with the Lady Wildcats at No. 17.
The game that followed was a fitting reflection of those rankings.
"That game was two heavyweights fighting it out for the top spot in the district," said Karen Kalhoefer, East head coach. "It was very intense, which is what you expected with so much on the line."
Plano got out to a 2-0 lead, but East surged back in front at 5-2 following a grand slam from KK Stevens. The Lady Wildcats tied the game, 5-5 in the fourth following RBIs from Kristen Miles and Holub, but Stevens would put the Lady Panthers back in front with an RBI single that made it 6-5.
"KK has been good for a lot of clutch hits for us," Kalhoefer said.
Two-out RBIs from Jacque Anthony and Sarah Morales expanded that advantage to 8-5, but East still had to sweat in the seventh.
"Plano is a great team," Kalhoefer said, "and you could tell that every bit of them wanted to win this game."
RBIs from Erin Lowell and Calli Irvin pulled the Lady Wildcats within 8-7 and brought the winning run to the plate with two outs. A blooper appeared as though it might tie the game before East shortstop Rachel Scott made a lunging grab to secure the 8-7 win, a share of the district title with Plano and the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs.
"It was one of those exciting games that is just great to be a part of," Kalhoefer said.
Plano East defeats Flower Mound, 3-2
May 11-12, 2012
In any case, a regional quarterfinal between two district foes that required extra innings and an extra day to determine the outcome would serve as one of the best games of the season.
Sprinkle in controversy regarding an umpire's decision and you have the game of the year.
This was the scenario when the state-ranked Lady Panthers took on a Lady Jaguars squad that had already defeated them twice during the regular season. Adding more intrigue, thunderstorms pushed back the conclusion of this contest until Saturday afternoon with Flower Mound leading, 2-0, in the fourth.
"We realized our season was on the line," Kalhoefer said, "and the girls came out like a completely different team the next day."
When play resumed, East knotted the score by plating two runs in the sixth.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Flower Mound's Emilee Burkhardt drove a single to center to bring Kelly Powell home. And while the umpire initially signaled safe as Powell just beat the throw - setting off a wild celebration from the Lady Jaguars players, coaches and fans - East tagged Powell on appeal and the ruling was changed.
The Lady Panthers would win in eight innings, but the controversial appeal continued to swirl even after video evidence was examined on multiple local news outlets.
"When I look back on it, [the call] isn't really what I think of," said Mark Larriba, Flower Mound head coach. "Things happen for a reason and I think this is going to be a turning point for our program. You have to be tough and competitive and think this is something we can build from. Everyone knows the umpire missed the call. But you can't go back and change things and I was really proud of the way the girls handled the situation. That's what I think of the most."
Hebron defeats Plano Senior, 4-2
May 12, 2012
When Herndon stepped to the plate for Hebron in the top of the seventh inning with two outs in this one-game regional quarterfinal, the Plano victory party was starting.
The Lady Wildcats were one out, and eventually one strike, away from advancing. Then, Herndon silenced half the standing-room only crowd at Staley Middle School while sending the other half into a frenzy with a three-run homer off the scoreboard in right field to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead.
"Plano had us, they had us ... and then Chelsea came up," said Staci Jackson, Hebron head coach. "She had been swinging at the high stuff and I told her that eventually she was going to get her pitch. She did and when she touched home plate you could see the tears streaming down her face."
Hebron's Deja Talton followed with her own homer to make it 4-2.
Those bombs reversed the fortunes for Hebron, which fell behind 1-0 in the fourth following a dropped infield pop out.
"When you have two good teams going at it, making an error can cost you the game," Jackson said. "I called a timeout after that because I could feel us losing it and starting to crumble, and I didn't want that to happen to these girls."
The Lady Wildcats doubled up their advantage in the fifth following an RBI double from Mackenzie Velasquez and maintained that 2-0 lead until the seventh. Plano brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the frame following a single from Miles, but Stearns induced a pop out and fly out to close the 4-2 win.
"This was one of those games that I'll never forget," Jackson said.
Plano East defeats Hebron, 5-4
May 25, 2012
What happened on the field during this one-game Region I Final was enough to get it on the list, but the crowd took it to another level.
"With two local teams playing for the right to go to state, we knew it would be packed," Jackson said. "But when our bus pulled up, the whole middle section of the stands was already packed; what a cool experience."
By the time the game started there were as many, if not more, fans watching from outside the stands as those who got seats. There were 1,050 paid entrants, not to mention those who got in with passes or wondered up to the infield and outfield walls as the game progressed.
"What an incredible atmosphere to be a part of," Kalhoefer said.
The game lived up to the hype ... eventually.
East dominated early as home runs from Holly Kern and Scott gave the Lady Panthers a 5-0 advantage by the second inning. Kern did her part in the circle to make that lead hold up as she had a no-hitter through five.
But that wasn't enough to put East at ease.
"Hebron has a knack for coming back," Kalhoefer said, "so I knew if we didn't score any more, we'd be in trouble."
She was right.
An RBI from Olivia Martinez, East error and RBI from Sarah Flores made it 5-3 in the sixth. Erinn Hill smacked a single to score another run before Kylie Johnson was thrown out at the plate by Lady Panthers left fielder Haley Wisdom to keep the team's one-run edge intact.
But the Hawks weren't done.
"At times, we don't have all the best talent at Hebron," Jackson said, "but we always have the fight and heart."
The Hawks had two runners on in the seventh with two outs when Martinez hit a flare to shallow right field.
"I thought, 'oh gosh, that ball is down,'" Kalhoefer said, "and I was already screaming, 'home, home.'"
But the ball didn't drop as East's Destiny Garza made a sliding grab to end the game.
"I have seen Destiny make great plays, but none like that," Kalhoefer said. "She was still holding the ball after the game and I said, 'Go ahead and keep it, that ball is yours girl.'"
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