Dirt flying, balls soaring and players sliding; our Lady Canes Softball team has run away with the number one rank in the state. The team is coming off a red hot season after getting second place in states with a roster which lost only three seniors. The rest of the team is still here and they are looking better than ever.

“The future of the team depends on two things: hard work and talent. Our coaches don’t get tochoose who comes into our program. Sometimes we get lucky with incoming classes – sometimes we don’t,” junior Faith Allen said.

The team currently holds two sophomores and six freshman on a twenty one man roster.

“We have an incredibly talented freshmen and sophomore class, but it takes more than 10 girls to field a high school team. It is then the responsibility of the upperclassmen to lead the newcomers and teach them what it means to be a Cane. That being said, I think that if we work hard and do our job, our program will have no issues. In the end, your success isn’t determined by how talented you are, its determined by how badly you want it.” Allen said.

Not only is the team young but they are very talented having one of the pitchers that made first team all-state, junior Savannah Bennet.

“I was shocked to make first team all state,” Bennet said. “It was cool to see that I was ranked high in the state.”

The team has been stomping all over the competition having only two losses on their season so far to Lake Mary and East Lake, losing both my one run. They have been beating opponents such as Alonso, who are ranked third in the state, and the team they lost to in state finals last year, West Orange.

“To be honest, it’s bitter-sweet. It feels good to run rule teams, and its boosts our self-confidence. However, being this good puts a target on our backs. We develop a reputation as a program, not just a team. When other schools play Palm Harbor, they give it their all; they’re out for blood. We have a motto: win the last game. For us that means win states; we want to be the best. Last year we may have come up short, but it only fueled our fire to go farther this year. Any team can have talent, but it takes the right mindset to apply that talent to its fullest potential.,” Allen said.

The team has a lot to prove: that they aren’t a bust, that they have the drive and they have have the drive to win a state championship. The Canes take a lot of time to try and get work in having practice every single school day during spring and conditioning during the fall.

“It’s a stressful during season. Having to sharpen our skills for that long is very stressful, but it’s manageable. We as players have to focus on getting good grades and working our hardest. It helps us a lot with time management. Not only that but we have a ‘book club.’ As a team we read a book that helps us become mentally prepared and become better people,” junior Katherine Gunther.

The team has a few players, junior Mia Buffano and sophomore Jalynn Ford, that are already committed to big name colleges like UF and FAU.

“It’s a really great feeling knowing a next level coach wants you on their team in the future. I don’t think I’m the best player but having this opportunity helps with confidence. Having something like that to look forward too makes me work so much harder. It’s also hard knowing that if you slip you could lose the scholarship, but this is good, it helps me keep in check,” Ford said.  

The team has a roster filled with talent and youth who not only have bright futures ahead of them, but long seasons that run deep into the postseason.