For one local school, the quest to right last year’s wrongs ended in heartbreak.
For another, it ended in the State Championship.
The Vandebilt Catholic softball team won the Division II Select State Championship this weekend, trumping No. 1 Buckeye 7-3 to take home the school’s 15th Softball State Championship — the most of any school in the LHSAA.
To get to the finals, Buckeye had to break the hearts of another local, pushing past No. 4 E.D. White in a 3-2 thriller, which set up Vandebilt to avenge last season when Buckeye beat them for the State Championship.
“We’ve been having a lot of these same girls for the last 4 years,” coach Jeremy Duplantis said after the win. “We made it to the Semis three years ago and lost by 1 run. We lost in the State Championship to the same team 4-1 last year. And we made a pact that we were going to come back and win it this year. And the girls definitely showed out today.”
Vandebilt Catholic left no doubt on their way to the title.
The Terriers left no doubt on Saturday.
Facing the team that beat them in the State Championship game just 1 year ago, Vandebilt rolled out to an early lead and dominated the game, using quality pitching and defense to hold Buckeye down, then pressure-filled, explosive offense to grab the game by the Horns.
The Terriers led virtually throughout, ballooning a 7-1 advantage into the final inning where Buckeye made a little bit of a rally, plating a couple runs to make it 7-3.
But the Terriers slammed the door shut to win another State Championship — continuing their rich history as being the finest softball program in the state of Louisiana.
Duplantis got a Gatorade bath after the win while doing his postgame interview. He said this year’s team knew coming into the season that they had high hopes and expectations, but it was the team’s hard work and dedication that allowed them the opportunity to get over the hump and win the final game of the season.
“We came out, we hit the ball, we played great defense and we pitched really well,” he said. “In all aspects of the game, we’re very proud of them.”
Before beating Buckeye, the Terriers had to win a nailbiter, surviving a 2-1 game against Hannan in the LHSAA State Semifinals.
Duplantis said his team’s determination and focus in pressure situations throughout the playoffs and in Sulphur was the difference, adding that he had a group that just would not take no for an answer.
But while Vandebilt Catholic celebrated a historic championship win, the weekend in Sulphur brought heartbreak to another local team who was in the same bracket.
To get to the finals, Buckeye had to beat E.D. White in the Semifinals, scoring a 3-2 thriller over the Cardinals in the Semifinals.
Buckeye beat E.D. White in the Quarterfinals last season by the same score in a hard-fought game that wasn’t decided until the last pitch.
All season, the Cardinals said that they wanted to get back into the playoffs, give themselves another shot at Buckeye and avenge their loss from 2023.
The team did exactly that, but came up just a smidge short of being able to climb the hump, falling again to the State Power in the postseason.
Coach Juli Dardar said she was so proud of this year’s team for their hard work and determination. Though short of their goal, she said she couldn’t be prouder of the effort the team gave this season.
WARRIORS FALL IN CHAMPIONSHIP THRILLER
Outside of Division II Select, we had another local team in Sulphur that came up just a little short in their Championship efforts.
Houma Christian School made the State Championship Game in Division III Select, topping St. Charles Catholic in the Semifinals to set up a showdown matchup with powerhouse Calvary Baptist in the finals.
The Warriors didn’t blink and stood toe-to-toe with the powerhouse, but in the end, Calvary Baptist did just enough to secure the title, earning a 10-9 win.
Houma Christian led by 6 runs in the middle innings, storming out to a 7-1 lead, looking poised to roar to the title.
But Calvary showed championship poise, inching back into the game, taking the lead and holding on late for the win.
They led 10-8 going to the final inning and survived. The Warriors plated a run to draw closer, but Calvary slammed the door shut to secure the title.
