Elgin High School Softball Goes to State

Elgin High School sent off their state-bound Lady Owls softball team at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12, to Shawnee, Oklahoma, at the Firelake Ball Fields.

The game started at 6 p.m. against the Pryor Tigers, and Elgin’s pitcher Dezirae Monoessy and third baseman and outfielder Decora Monoessy were a sister duo on the field.

Dorca said scoring the first run at the top of the 5^th gave the team confidence.

“It helped us out a lot knowing that we had the lead and knowing that we were going to win because we all have confidence and we all have the mindset of we're going to win, and it was exciting,” she said.

Dezirae pitched 21 outs for the Owls and said it felt amazing to be at state.

“I'm just so glad to be here,” she said. “I'm glad to have a defense to back me up and an offense to back me up at the same time. It just feels so good to be here, and it's our first year, and we're a really young team, so we're doing great.”

Decora said the game was exciting, and the fans were loud, but there was nervousness.

“It was like a lot of anxiousness and everything coming into the game, but when the first pitch was pitched, everything kind of like soothed out,” she said. “It said like the fans are crazy, everything was wild, we [were] all having fun, and we [were] all hyped throughout the whole thing, and we [were] just having fun, and the game will just continue to be fun for us, and we'll just have fun.”

Dezirae said there were a lot of nerves at the start of the game.

“But I knew I could do it,” she said. “I just had to push through all the loudness, block everyone out and just stay calm.”

Decora said on the field, there has to be focus.

“It's like exciting to see everything and everyone,” she said. “But you have to stay focused and know what you're here for and to chase the state title.”

Dezirae said the team had great communication.

“We have a lot of talk and communication throughout the whole team,” she said.

Dezirae said she will physically prepare for their next game, which is at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 13.

“I'm for sure [going to] ice my knee and my arm,” she said. “I'm [going to] get rest, and I just [got to] rest up for tomorrow, you know.”

Decora also agreed that rest would be important but challenging.

“It's [going to] be hard to go to sleep because it's [going to] be an exciting day tomorrow,” she said.
“But we're [going to] get rest and have a good day tomorrow and eat breakfast and everything and we're just [going to] have a good time.”

Both thanked their family for their support and were glad to have made it this far in the season.