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-Photograph Messenger by Britt Kudla
The Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports activities Complicated workforce is working to get the fields prepared for this week's state softball match motion.
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-Photograph Messenger by Britt Kudla. The primary concourse space between the fields is featured on the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports activities Complicated, dwelling of the 1970 state softball match.
-Photograph Messenger by Britt Kudla
The Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports activities Complicated workforce is working to get the fields prepared for this week's state softball match motion.
The state softball match arrives at Fort Dodge's doorstep for the 55th straight 12 months, beginning Monday on the Rogers Sports activities Complicated.
Forty of Iowa's high highschool groups go to our neighborhood in a convention that dates again to 1970. On the time, the occasion was solely 13 years previous and solely eight faculties made the journey from all grades. There at the moment are eight groups in every of the 5 arms of the championship.
For simply the fourth time – however second in as many seasons – Fort Dodge and St. Edmond will function de facto co-hosts of the match. The Dodgers superior for the seventh straight 12 months – one thing solely 11 different applications had beforehand achieved within the trendy period. The Gaels have certified for back-to-back seasons for the primary time in program historical past.
Fort Dodge is the fifth seed in Class 4A and can face Adel-ADM in a quarterfinal rematch on Monday at 5:15 p.m. Head coach Andi Adams' workforce, which has a 236-53 file since 2018, has participated in 9 of the final. 10 state tournaments. The Dodgers reached the Finals 3 times in a row from 2020 to 2022.
St. Edmond is seeded no. four in 1A and faces Collins-Maxwell on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. Head coach Invoice Shirbroun's ball membership didn’t drop a sport to an opponent of their class this 12 months and captured their second straight North. Central Convention title as the one remaining 1A program within the league.
-Photograph Messenger by Britt Kudla. The primary concourse space between the fields is featured on the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports activities Complicated, dwelling of the 1970 state softball match.
Native tales aren't the one ones our sports activities workers will probably be following within the coming days. Over 500 gamers and round 20,000 spectators are on the town this week and we'll do our greatest to make everybody really feel at dwelling.
Williamsburg (3A) is the one defending champion to succeed in the state area in 2024, proving simply how powerful it’s to advance this far. No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5A), North Polk (4A), Benton (3A), Van Meter (2A) and Martensdale-St. Marys (1A) all averted being bitten by the indignant bug and reached the quarterfinals as the highest seeds of their respective lessons.
Davenport Assumption returns to Rogers Park for the ninth straight time, tying a contemporary state file held by Central Springs (2015-23), Akron-Westfield (2003-11) and Woodward-Granger (1991-99). Lisbon additionally matched the Dodgers this 12 months with the fortunate no. 7 in a row — a feat achieved solely by West Des Moines Valley (eight, from 2013-2020), Cedar Rapids Jefferson (eight, from 2002-09), Southeast Warren (eight, from 1961-68), Johnston (7, from 2013-19), Carlisle (7, from 2008-14), Martensdale-St. Marys (7, from 2008-14) and Clear Creek-Amana (7, from 1996-2002).
Audubon, West Fork and Prairie Metropolis-Monroe will probably be first this week. Alternatively, many conventional powers are on board with historical past on their facet; Fort Dodge, Ankeny, Benton, Carlisle, West Des Moines Valley, Muscatine, North Polk, Urbandale, Waukee, North Scott and Southeast Warren have all been declared no less than 15 occasions beforehand.
That is the crown jewel of our neighborhood. That goes with out saying. Numerous Fort Dodge space employees and volunteers will be part of the devoted Iowa Women Excessive College Athletic Union workers members in an effort to make this match one to recollect for gamers, coaches and followers.
Iowa Central Group Faculty is dwelling to no less than 30 of the qualifying faculties. Their position on this course of is invaluable. Native eating places, inns and retailers will put their greatest foot ahead to maintain 1000’s of individuals fed and entertained. Please method any of us with questions, concepts or strategies. We’re right here to reinforce your match expertise.
Messenger's award-winning sports activities workers will probably be with you from the primary launch to the final. Sport tales, footage, brackets, options and social media updates are all on our to-do record. We even have a web page on our web site devoted to protection — sub “State Softball” tab at www.messengernews.internet — and a 36-page match preview version in Monday's paper. Chris Johnson, Dana Becker, John McBride, Britt Kudla and I will probably be on location for the length.
Good luck to everybody this week. We hope our protection makes you are feeling like Fort Dodge is your personal yard. The all-time attendance for Fort Dodge State softball will clear 950,000 very quickly, and we're nonetheless on tempo to interrupt the 1 million mark someday in both 2026 or '27. Let's get there collectively!
Eric Pratt is sports activities editor at The Messenger. Attain him by electronic mail at sports activities@messengernews.internet or on Twitter @ByEricPratt