With Softball’s Super Regionals ending just last week; and according to Jenel Guadagno, “They fought hard but fell a little short.”
For their first match the Cerritos Falcons beat the playoffs, and managed to be the number one ranked team in the state but not everything went as planned for the Falcons.
“We won our first game but lost our second game, putting us in the losers bracket, and we ended up losing the final game,” head coach Kodee Murray said.” “We came out hard, the other team came back, they tied it up and we didn’t finish strong enough.”
Murray said, “Super Regionals went outstanding. We walked in and beat the team that had been ranked number one in the state, and we didn’t finish against Santa Ana but we were right there.”
Pitching coach Dennis Drulias said, “They did really fantastic but we had few misplays due to over-effort. Leading up to Super Regionals they were getting stronger and stronger all the time, and playing as a team; doing the best they could. Our number 1 pitcher got hit really bad in the shin, while playing Ventura about a month ago, and was hit in the same spot during this tournament; and she pitched all the way through it.”
With all of the coaches feeling the same way about the Super Regionals, it goes to show that, winning isn’t everything, and from this they can take away a learning experience.
Assistant coach Jenel Guadagnos said, “Some good things that came out of Super Regionals; they learned to fight, our backs were up against the wall, and they came out and did what they were supposed to do. They need to come back with that hungry mentality next year; to be better, and get better, every day. To get through those tough days, when you don’t want to practice and you don’t want to be here. Its getting you better for the end of May, its a long season; and so keeping them focused is keeping them moving in the right directions.”
As for what’s next, the coaches can agree, its time to rebuild.
“Next, as far as the coaching staff, we are just moving into recruiting, and to rebuild our freshmen. They are sophomores now, so now were looking for some freshmen to come in and fill some big shoes. We have 8 sophomores leaving; were losing a lot of key positions, but we do have a good recruiting class coming in so that’s good,” assistant coach Guadagno said.
Murray said “the recurting will go well, on account of the good, established program they have. The greatest part about it is that there are so many good schools around Cerritos, so the kids will be split between Cypress College, Mt. San Antonio College, and Cerritos College.”
The Cerritos Falcons will be back in the fields in August. Now with the season over, the only course of action is to look forward, as the time for rebuilding what once was is here.
Murray said, “We were not players entering, but a team, and we played all the way through.”
