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Champion softball seeks another state crown
For the fourth time in seven seasons, the Champion High School softball team is competing at state.
Today at 12:30 p.m., the Golden Flashes (30-2) play Springfield Northwestern (27-2) in a Division III state semifinal at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
The Golden Flashes have been a staple at the state level, something that doesn’t lose its luster according to head coach Cheryl Weaver.
“Oh it never gets old,” Weaver said Thursday. “Once you’ve gone, it’s kind of a bummer when you don’t.”
Senior pitcher McKenzie Zigmont said, “It’s great to see all the purple in the stands cheering you on.”
The team has players contributing from all classes. Freshman Allison Smith is second on the team in plate appearances and leads the team in home runs with 17. Sophomore Calri Swipas has 27 runs scored, which is merely sixth on the team of offensive juggernauts.
The upper two classes were part of the 2015 state championship team, but this year will be a new experience for the younger classes on the state’s biggest stage.
“The older ones have been telling the younger ones what a great experience this is,” Weaver said. “I try to preach to them to be relaxed — the same as when you’re batting.”
Senior catcher Molly Williams, who calls Zigmont’s pitches, just as she did as a sophomore when Haylee Gardiner was on the mound at Firestone Stadium.
“Molly always calls,” Zigmont said of her veteran catcher.
Zigmont said she has the OK to shake off a pitch call if she doesn’t like it.
“It doesn’t happen too often,” Zigmont said.
Zigmont said the atmosphere from their regional games should give the younger players a taste of what state is like.
“Massillon gave us a good perspective,” Zigmont said. “With our fans coming from the [baseball] game and Tuslaw being local, it was packed. It was definitely the biggest crowd we had at a regional game.”
In a postseason where one bad game can knock a favorite out in the earlier rounds, that isn’t the case in this tournament. The top four seeds all made it to state in Division III. So for Champion (the second seed) to live up to their name, they’ll have to beat the best.
“That’s how it’s supposed to be,” Weaver said. “You’ll see lower scoring games because it’s the cream of the crop. And I’m glad we’re in that.”
The team is racking up the miles this week. While their game is just in nearby Akron, many members of the team went down Thursday to Columbus to watch the Champion baseball team win its state semifinal before driving back for an evening practice. Now the baseball team is coming up to watch the softball team on their day off.
“With the boys getting that big win, it really gets us up,” Swipas said. “That win got us excited but now we have to win to match them. The pressure is on us now.”
For Swipas, a state title wouldn’t be the first championship, and it wouldn’t even be close to the first title for the family. She won a 12U national title on a travel team while her sister Lindsay won state titles for Champion in 2011 and 2012. Her aunt, Jennifer (Leiby) Krause won a state title at Champion in 1994.
“It would be really cool to win [a state title] and get to experience what my sister and aunt got to experience,” Swipas said. “This will be a lot bigger [than my national championship]. It’s different when you’re playing for your school and with your classmates.”