PHOTO: Aledo Softball/Aledo ISD
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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Imagine taking over a program that’s coming off back-to-back state championships and trips to the state tournament in three consecutive years…a team that graduated eight starters – that can’t be easy.
But when Heather Myers came to Aledo as the next softball coach during the 2016 season, I know she knew that the Ladycats had great tradition.
This spring marked the 10th year with Aledo for Myers – who has kept up the winning ways and transformed the Ladycats back into a state title contender year in and year out – just like the teams before her arrival.
Aledo (30-3) takes on Melissa (36-1) in the Class 5A Division 1 state semifinals. The one-game playoff is set for 6:30 pm Wednesday from Euless Trinity HS.
It’s Aledo’s second straight appearance in the Final Four and fourth in the past five seasons. Aledo is only one of FIVE schools in the state to have four trips in the last five years. With the playoffs split into two divisions this spring – there have now been 104 teams that have made the state semifinals since 2021 so 5 out of 104 is pretty remarkable.
The Ladycats are also the ONLY program to hit those marks in the two largest classifications. The only other 2025 semifinalists from 6A and 5A to come close – Montgomery Lake Creek (2022-2023, 2025) and Denton Guyer (2023-2025).
Since Myers’ arrival to Aledo, she has led the Ladycats to the playoffs in all nine seasons (excluding the canceled COVID year in 2020) – extending their postseason streak to 20 consecutive years. They have also won 54 straight district games dating back to 2021 and have won five straight district titles.
This playoff run includes wins over Colleyville Heritage, Burleson, Amarillo and Birdville. The Ladycats took down the Hawks in the Region 1 championship 11-1 and 7-4. Austyn Marriage and Marina Taveras hit home runs in Game 1 and Taylor McKean tossed a no-hitter with six strikeouts. Tempe Perry, Kyleigh Pawlak and Delaney Rosser went yard in the Game 2 clincher and Perry allowed one run through the first four innings.
Myers is still looking for that first state title – which would be Aledo’s fourth all time and first since the program went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, but regardless, she has become one of the top high school softball coaches in the entire state.
NOTABLE RUNS TO STATE IN LAST 5 YEARS
6A – Denton Guyer 2023-2025
6A – Waco Midway 2024-2025
6A – Humble Kingwood 2024-2025
5A – Aledo 2021-2022, 2024-2025
5A – Montgomery Lake Creek 2022-2023, 2025
5A – Melissa 2024-2025
4A – Liberty 2021-2025
4A – CC Calallen 2021, 2022-2025
3A – Coahoma 2022-2025
2A – Crawford 2021-2024
1A – Hermleigh 2022-2025
