LANCASTER, NY. (WKBW) — “I was just shocked, I was happy and felt all the emotions, and I got a little teary-eyed," said Lancaster catcher Brennah Dewald.
“I was definitely anxious because it’s the last inning, we have a two-run lead, and then you just have to play your heart out," added Lancaster pitcher Alyssa Brunner.
Dewald and Brunner were the pitcher-catcher duo for the Lancaster Legends softball team as they captured the program's first-ever state championship this past weekend in Binghamton.
It’s a moment the two juniors will never forget, and the magnitude of the moment was something even head coach Rich Winiatowski was unaware of at first.
“I’m proud to begin with, but the fact that we finally got one for the district, this community, and the school is awesome," Winiatowski said. "So that was icing on the cake, but I never would’ve thought a school this size with the success that they’ve had in sports that this would be their first, but it was cool when I found out.”
But what makes this state championship even more special is that Lancaster took home some hardware without a single senior on the roster.
“I’m proud of us," Brunner said. "A bunch of us have been playing together since we were six years old. We have that bond and confidence in each other that we can do great things.”
“I’m also not shocked," Dewald said. "We work together well as a team, and came together, and we have such a strong bond that we know we can lean on each other at moments like that."
"This year, I think we kind of surprised some people, and we were the new kids on the block," Winiatowski said. "But with that comes expectations; I already have people telling me, 'Well, you have your whole team back, so you guys should be back there next year.' And that adds a little to it."
In a way, the Legends shocked the softball community with their Class AAA title, and they’ll look forward to doing that again next year when this entire roster comes back to try and repeat as state champions.
But for now, they’ll enjoy this win before that next chapter of this storybook journey begins.
