Rejuvenated Green Wave came a long way

There are times when "on paper" isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Memorial Day afternoon at Benedictine University was one of those times.

Morrison's softball team came into Lisle as the heavy favorite to easily handle St. Edward in the Class 2A supersectional.

And why not?

The Fillies took fourth in the state Class A tournament last year and had not allowed a run in the postseason this year. Their senior pitcher, Ashlie Patten, had struck out 49 batters in the Fillies' four postseason games prior to Monday. They had dusted Byron and Genoa-Kingston by a collective 24-0 in the sectional.

But they hadn't faced the rejuvenated St. Edward Green Wave yet.

Yes, the end result was that Morrison prevailed 6-4 in eight innings. But the Green Wave made such a positive impression on so many people -- and there were a lot of people at this game -- that when the Wave's players, coaches and faithful fans wake up this morning and the tears are gone, they should immediately start looking back on what they accomplished this season and have nothing but smiles on their faces.

What this St. Edward team accomplished this season is scrapbook material for years to come. This was a program in disarray a year ago -- hey, let's face it, there was more negative press about St. Edward athletics as a whole last year than there ever should be at one high school.

The softball program had to let an uncertified coach go just before the start of the season. Coaches came in who tried hard but weren't really softball coaches, and the season ended with just 6 wins, only 21 games played, and people wondering what was going to happen with what everyone knew was a talented group.

Enter Mike Rolando, Scot Brockner, Eloy Diaz and Jaci Corn. With Rolando leading the way, and the entire program showing renewed enthusiasm, the Green Wave won 18 games and played their last contest in a game that no other softball team from Elgin had ever played in -- the supersectional, which we now know as the Elite Eight.

"The one thing we wanted to do was turn this program around and to go to supersectionals is really amazing," said senior co-captain Kelly Knott after Monday's loss. "It hurts to get this far and be one step away (from state). We became such a family this year. We didn't want this to be over yet."

It almost wasn't. The Wave rallied time after time after time, but in the end Morrison pushed across 2 runs in the top of the eighth.

Game over right? Not quite, said St. Edward. Even when Leah Diaz's screamer up the middle was blindly stabbed by Patten to end the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, and even as Morrison celebrated another trip to East Peoria, the Green Wave had gained something that someday the girls on the team will understand is just as important as any trip to state, and that's respect.

"That was the best team we've played all year," said Patten. "I've never had a team hit me like that in my life. I don't know if we overlooked them or what but that was an outstanding team."

When an opposing pitcher gives you those kind of props, you know you've done something right.

It's a pretty safe bet the St. Edward softball program is back on the map. There's a lot of people to thank for that -- most notably Kelly Knott, Megan Pozezinski, Erin McGraw, Celeste VonAhnen, Paige Maschinski, Megan Tourtellott and Meghan Petersen, the seven seniors who banded together to lead this team on the field. But every girl and every coach in the program contributed to the rejuvenation.

"We had coaches that believed in us," said junior Megan Smith, who will be one of the team's leaders next year. "Our coaches this year gave us confidence and lit the fire again."

"I'm just so proud of these girls and the way they battled all year," said Rolando, who quarterbacked Larkin's 1990 state quarterfinalist football team and played on the Royals' 1991 Elite Eight baseball team. "They should all keep their heads up and be very proud of what they accomplished. We're graduating seven seniors and we're going to miss them dearly, but we've got some good young girls coming back. This may have been a record-setting year for St. Ed's, but this is what will be expected from now on."

So is the Green Wave's head football coach ready to double up indefinitely?

"This will be a season I'll never forget with so many good memories. I'd say they've motivated me to stick with it," Coach Ro said with a smile.

A smile the entire Green Wave family should be wearing today.