District championships for Class 5A softball left undecided
Area Class 5A softball teams were in the driver’s seat in all three districts when the 2020 season was halted because of the coronovirus pandemic.
In fact, there were four undefeated 5A teams in those districts. Established powerhouses Edison (14-9, 3-0) and Southwest (17-5, 5-0) rose to the top of 27-5A and 28-5A, respectfully. The other leaders were emerging programs at McCollum (13-2, 6-0) in 26-5A and Jefferson (11-9, 2-0), which posed a threat to Edison in 27-5A.
“It was definitely shaping up to be a great year for teams that were building their programs,” Edison coach Jennifer Bocanegra said. “It’s really a credit to softball becoming a year-round game.”
District 26-5A
First-place McCollum had back-to-back wins over two of its top three challengers, Veterans Memorial (10-8, 4-1) and Boerne Champion (12-4, 4-2). The Cowboys were three days from a scheduled game against Seguin (15-7, 4-1) when the season ended March 14.
“Like I told the girls, there’s a lot of what-ifs and could-have-beens,” first-year McCollum coach Alessia Gallegos said. “We know what could have been, but it’s sad because we weren’t able to roll its course to the end.”
The Cowboys twice scored 20 or more runs and had a pair of run-rule shutouts. McCollum will lose only college recruits pitcher Gabby Stovall and catcher Selin Syma to graduation.
“Hopefully, we can keep the same culture,” Gallegos said. “We weren’t finished. We have a lot of key players coming back and some key girls coming in as well.”
District 27-5A
Rivals Edison and Jefferson set the tone in 27-5A.
Undefeated 2019 champion Edison hadn’t lost any of its dominance. The Golden Bears outscored its three district opponents 53-3 behind sophomore pitcher Natalie Castoreno and an explosive offense led by senior Genina Villarreal.
“They were definitely exceeding expectations,” Bocanegra said. “We played some close games against good competition. The way we played against Southwest (a 7-2 win Feb. 28) was a building block for this team.”
Jefferson won silver bracket titles in both the Edgewood ISD and Dilley tournaments. The Mustangs had an important 10-5 district win over Alamo Heights (8-12-1, 1-2), which avenged an earlier loss, ahead of the scheduled March 27 showdown with Edison.
“We had high hopes for them in the playoffs,” third-year Jefferson coach Shannon Nail said. “When we beat Burbank (at Dilley), they realized they could do it.”
Center fielder Cynthia de la Torre and third baseman Savannah Pastrano were the only starters Jefferson will lose to graduation. Sophomore pitcher Kadence Castillo is a player to watch.
“Honestly, I think what’s really helped them was that they didn’t play in the summer or fall before I got here,” Nail said. “They kept working on fundamentals.”
Highlands (5-18, 2-1), Burbank (5-9, 1-1) and Alamo Heights (8-12-1, 1-2) appeared to be top contenders for the other two playoff spots.
District 28-5A
Behind all-state third baseman Aaliyah Ortiz and emerging pitcher Alexis Obregon, the Dragons notched consecutive wins over contenders Medina Valley (15-2, 3-2) and Southwest Legacy (6-7, 2-3) to set the pace in 28-5A. The outscored district opponents 57-4.
A pair of unexpected losses in the Southwest ISD Tournament restored the Dragons’ focus.
“I think (the postseason) was going to be great,” Southwest coach Sandy Hernandez said. “We had some unfinished business from prior seasons and the (seniors) knew it was their last chance.”
Southwest Legacy (6-7, 2-3) was angling for its first postseason appearance, tied for fifth with Southside (4-10, 2-3) and Floresville (8-14, 2-3).
