Team spirit alive despite season lost
Morgan Thomason would have liked to pitch to Folsom on what would have been Oak Ridge High School softball's final home game of the season May 5. Thomason would have been on the mound, surrounded by her fellow seniors — Emily Thompson at first base, Madison Steele in the middle of the infield, Katelin Eccles in the hot corner at third base and Hayden Greene in the outfield.
Instead the five seniors, along with team manager Michael Hawkins, who's also an Oak Ridge senior, were celebrated on their senior day by their families and teammates after not playing a game since taking care of Granite Bay handily 17-7 March 10.
While graduating senior student athletes are traditionally led onto the field by their families to be honored before their last regular season game at home, these Lady Trojans on Tuesday were instead escorted across El Dorado Hills by the El Dorado Hills Fire Department.
The seniors followed the fire truck and didn't know where they were heading.
"I thought we were meeting at school to take a picture," Greene said.
"That was the whole plan then we decorated our cars," Thomason said. "It was such a nice thing that they were even thinking about doing it for us. It means a lot."
The seniors have known each other for about 10 years and all of them will move on to play in college. Hayden Greene will be going to California State University, San Bernardino; Katelin Eccles will attend Cuesta College before transferring to Cal Poly; Morgan Thomason is headed to Menlo College; Michael Hawkins is keeping it local and enrolling at Folsom Lake College; and Emily Thompson and Madison Steele are both undeclared.
At about 4:15 p.m., when Eccles should have been digging into the plate to take her first at-bat against rival Folsom, she led the caravan of seniors into a chorus of cheering and applause from parents, teams, friends, family and fans. The team did a lap around a parking lot before parking and watching the fire truck weave its way through the lot, wishing the seniors farewell.
Once the seniors parked, the juniors gave emotional speeches about what each senior meant to them. They talked about lessons the seniors taught them and the friendships and bonds created because of softball.
"I know that the season got cut short but the seniors still have a big place in all of our hearts and they definitely have had an impact on each and every one of us," said junior Genna Ghidossi.
Tears were shed when talking about what could have been, never all Trojan teammates again.
