By Karen Neill
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The JV softball Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) championship on Oct. 17 was MHS’ JV softball team’s third time challenging Waianae High School this season and was victorious over them once again with an outcome of 2-1. With one win and one loss, the final game decided not only the OIA champions, but also the winners of the season’s rivalry between Waianae and Mililani. Despite their nerves, fear and pressure, the Trojans prevailed.
“Sometimes I do (feel pressure) but when you just look out at the field and you see all the other girls and you just break the fear and you just have fun,” said Third Baseman Freshman Shannon Pascua Stanton, “(When we won) I was happy, I was screaming and I was nervous too.”
Throughout the season Head Coach Melissa-Ann Lehano-Iosefa consistently had high expectations for the team. “I think they played great. They could’ve played better but it was enough to get the win,” explained Lehano-Iosefa, “From day one of the season I expected 120 to 200 percent.”
The players used their coach’s high expectations to their advantage. “You feel pressured at times but then you kind of know that they have the confidence in you to have that expectation. So it kind of builds you up to be more of a leader and kind of work with your team to get you where your coach wants you to be,” said Second Baseman Sophomore Keri Togami.
From the beginning of the season, the team decided not to have any officially chosen captains. Because of this, they had to rely on their teamwork to do well and be successful. “We all push each other,” explained Stanton, “There wasn’t one person pushing another.” Togami added, “(Our teamwork) was much better. In the beginning of the year we got along well but on the field when we pressured out it didn’t really work very well. But in the championship game when we pressured we started to work as a team more, so it was really good.”
Over half of the JV team is trying out for varsity in the spring and in the case that they all qualify, they will have a head start in coming together as a team.
