Softball: OHS makes history with state berth

ABILENE Odessa High shortstop Chelsey Walters watched her throw to first so intently that she was stunned for a moment when Weatherford's Megan Askew was called out.

The sound of her teammate's gloves striking the ground and the screams from the dugout and stands brought her out of her daydream.

Odessa High is headed to the Class 5A state softball tournament after defeating Weatherford in the deciding third game of the Region I-5A final series on Saturday at Wells Field at Abilene Christian University.

"It didn't even hit me that the game was over for a few seconds," said Walters, who scooped up the grounder, stepped on second for one out and threw to first to complete the game- and series-ending double play. "I was watching for the out."

The rest of Walters' teammates reacted right away, especially pitcher Hillary Phillips and second baseman Rosie Lopez, two seniors who have been with the program during its only four playoff appearances. OHS had never advanced past the bi-district round before this season, and now the Lady Bronchos are the first Ector County Independent School District softball team to reach the state tournament.

"Oh my god," Phillips screamed in the middle of the on-field celebration. "This is so unreal to be here right now. This is what everyone, every team works for all year, and we wanted it so bad. It really is a dream come true. I guess we'll be missing graduation."

OHS girls athletics coordinator Tracey Borchardt had the answer for that planned two weeks ago when the Lady Bronchos were preparing for Coppell in the regional semifinals.

"We'll hold graduation on the pitcher's mound in Austin if we have to," she said. "Anything we can do for those girls, because we are so proud of what they've done."

Lopez, who wasn't even on the field at the end of last week's games because of a shoulder injury, was confident in Odessa High's chances in the third game.

"I knew that we had too much heart to lose," Lopez said. "All year we've been playing hard, and we weren't going to stop now. To go to the state tournament now, as a senior, I'm on top of the world. This is my last year here, and one of the things that has helped is that everyone has played like it's their last year, too. Man, we're going to the state tournament."

In the middle of the celebration was OHS coach Stephanie Graham, coming out of the pack soaked with water and adulation from the hundreds of fans who traveled to Abilene. Graham, who has led the program for the last 10 years, watched as the hard work of her players in the past four seasons came to fruition Saturday

She liked what she saw.

"This victory happened last year when I watched us get beat, and I knew we weren't tough enough mentally," she said. "We had to get tougher, and the girls have worked so hard all year. This win has been coming for the past four years, and everyone who has played on those teams has a part in this. You have to get to the playoffs first in order to get to this point, and all the players have been building year after year. Oh my god, we're going to state."