PELLSTON — Years ago, Breanna Willis wasn’t even in high school yet.
But she and some of her middle school softball friends found themselves at Pioneer Park.
By the end of that day, they were awestruck by the Pellston High School softball team, which captured a district title with a victory over rival Mackinaw City in 2022.
One day, those future Hornets – players like Willis, Ella Klungle, Lanie Irwin and Allie Cameron – hoped they’d find themselves in a similar situation with a chance for glory at home.
Years later, those Hornets stood as triumphant seniors on their home field following an MHSAA Division 4 district title victory over Harbor Lights on Friday, May 29 – the first for the program since 2023 – and couldn’t contain their excitement as they screamed for joy after they accepted the trophy.
“Coming in, we wanted to win this,” Willis said. “I would say we’re really connected in that we also wanted this badly because it was our senior year. We didn’t want to be done.”
On a day when the Hornets fell behind in both of their district matchups, they stung back each time and delivered when it mattered most. From Irwin’s solid pitching to Klungle’s leadership at catcher behind the plate to Willis’s composed play at shortstop to Cameron’s defensive brilliance in the outfield, the Pellston seniors put the program on their backs and ended a three-year title drought.
“We were very resilient, and we got it done,” Klungle said. “A lot of it was about talking to each other, being one team, and that’s what we did. (This title) shows resilience, and it shows a lot about the players and coaches, and that the mental part of the game sticks more than the physical part.”
Three years ago, the Hornets found themselves sealing back-to-back district titles under coach Randy Bricker. Since then, however, it’s been a struggle to get back on championship track. With a memorable district performance at home, it showed just how far these Hornets have come after some down years.
As for their current coach, she knows how they were able to return to glory.
“They all love this game,” Pellston coach Dena Moore said. “They all talk about how they wish this season wasn’t so short. We seem to have the shortest season of any other sport, and it’s just their dedication and their love. When I don’t have practice, they want to have practice. They want to be out there. It says not only a win, but just a love of the sport, and that matters.”
There’s no question the Hornets will have their hands full with powerhouse Hillman in the regional semifinals, but even if it ends in defeat, their legacy is a successful one. But, the hardest part for this gutsy group of Pellston seniors will be – you guessed it – saying goodbye after so many springs and summers of being on the field, working together and developing as one.
“I’ve played with them since I was in preschool,” Irwin said of her senior teammates. “They’re just really great people to be around. They’re really good athletes, and we get along really well.”
Pellston’s matchup with Hillman is at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 6, at Rogers City.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: From watching to winning, Pellston softball seniors earn district title
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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