Friday, May. 16, 2008

Panthers End Historic Season

CHHS Softball

By John English

Contributing Writer

The Colleyville Heritage softball team’s season came to an end last weekend, but it was not without a fight. Coach Lance Stephens said he could not have asked for more from his players.

The Panthers lost a three-game series to Flower Mound in the regional quarterfinals; the furthest Colleyville has ever advanced as a 5A program.

"I think nervousness about playing Flower Mound was a big factor in our series," Stephens said. "It was brought up that Flower Mound was ranked fourth in the state and how great they are. After we played them, we realized that we could actually play with them. I think that’s the reason we were able to come back and beat them in the second game."

After losing 5-0 in the opening game of the series and trailing 1-0 until the final inning of second game, the Panthers rallied for two runs in the seventh to push it to a Game 3.

"In the third game, our pitcher [freshman Kayla English] was just so tired," Stephens said. "She had pitched the night before and had to come back at noon and pitch again, and she was just tired … their first three runs were homeruns in the third game."

Stephens said his team played its heart out in the Flower Mound series and never lost hope.

"I was really satisfied," Stephens said. "Even when they were coming back in, and they were down, they were saying, 'We’re going to make them play the whole seven [innings], we’re not going to let them score another one,’ and they just weren’t going to give up. That’s kind of the way they have been all season long."

Stephens said the team played well beyond expectations for the season as a whole.

"To be honest, when we saw them in the fall in their fall league, one of the teams they lost to was Flower Mound’s JV," Stephens said. "Then they come back and beat their varsity in the second game, [a team] ranked fourth in the state."

Stephens said things are shaping up well for next season.

"I think we look pretty good," Stephens said. "We have to replace two outfielders, but we have a freshman returning who has played a lot … we have to replace our first baseman as well, but we are returning everybody else."

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