SELAH — Port Angeles comes to a crossroads after coming home with the Class 2A state softball second-place trophy.
Returning with the school’s first true state hardware (other Roughrider teams have won multiple games at state but the WIAA only gives out trophies for first through fourth place), showcases how much the Roughriders (22-2) achieved this season and is the direct result of a change in attitude amplified by more and more experience at the state tournament.
“A few years ago when we first started coming to state it was ‘Lets go win a ballgame, win one ballgame.’ Now the attitude has shifted to “Let’s go win this [state championship]. And that was a huge switch in belief,” coach Randy Steinman said.
“And absolutely, that’s the takeaway [of getting to the championship game]. We have 10 girls who have state experience coming back, and a state championship game, so they’ll be hungry to get back.
“Lots of good things, lots of great things happened here at state, especially for our future.”
Steinmain said his younger players will have to realize the example set by seniors Nizhoni Wheeler, Lauren Lunt, Kylee Reid, Ashley Howell, Taylar Clark and Nikaila Price.
“Now we have to keep that drive going. And we are losing some key players, obviously, obviously you know. That’s a tough one to fill [Nizhoni Wheeler]. The senior class is a special group. It’s tough with these seniors, I’ve been with them as their coach since they were 10.”
That continuity, Steinman said, built bonds between the players.
“They’ve played together for such a long time, they are friends, they are positive with each other, they push each other, they are competitors.
They all play the same sports, so those bonds never get broken up. And they’ve been successul in all the other sports, so it helps when coming to a tournament like this.”
Steinman will miss his seniors.
“I feel like they are all my kids because of how we can joke with each other. That’s the stuff they’ll remember 10, 20, 30-years down the line. The jokes they told, all the laughs, the nicknames. And of course they’ll remember they got second in state and played on the best team in school history.”
But Steinman still has a state-caliber bunch coming back led by slugger Natalie Steinman (11 home runs this season), speedster Sierra Robinson, outfielder Erin Edwards who stepped up at state, along with third baseman Brennan Gray.
Other returners include pitchers Callie Hall and Hope O’Connor, and a host of up-and-comers from the JV.
“It will be a different team next year absolutely, but we are experienced, we have leaders and we’ll just find a new way to win games,” Steinman said.
