HOUSTON – Like so many other teams, the Oak Ridge softball program was heartbroken to hear UIL officially cancel their season.
“It was devastating because we worked really hard from my freshman year to my senior year,” said senior pitcher Morgan Brandon.
This team was special. With nine seniors and a 21-1 record, the sky was the limit.
“The chemistry of these girls for this year was just unstoppable,” said head coach Stephani Rougeau. “I can’t say where we would have ended up, but I know our first goal was to be district champions.”
The War Eagles were not only close on the field but extremely close off of it.
“It was almost like there was this special connection among all of us where it was like, no one else has this, no other team has this connection," explained senior shortstop, Mya Briones.
The parents and coaches wanted to celebrate the girls, so they threw them a surprise, socially-distanced parade.
“I was looking around like, ‘what is going on,’ and then finally I hear horns and I see people driving by and it was so amazing,” said Brandon.
And although the season’s premature ending is disappointing, this team is forever thankful for the bond that they have.
“If we didn’t have this bond, we wouldn’t be where we were today,” said Brandon.