South II

1985 was the last time that Chopticon softball got to hoist a state championship trophy. After a 40-year drought and two chances at the title in the past 10 years, this year's team ended their drought, beating Sherwood in the Class 3A title 5-3. "It was awesome," said senior pitcher Carrie Hayden. "Obviously, winning and accomplishing that after losing in 2022, it was great." Over the last decade, Chopticon had the chance to win the 3A title in 2016 and 2022 but fell short both times. This season, Chopticon finished with a 21-2 record, both losses coming to Leonardtown. When the opportunity came this season to play in the 3A title game, emotions were high, but many saw the chance to win. "I was really excited when we were going into that game," said senior catcher Cassie Wolfe. "I had a pretty good feeling that it was our year. " The Braves gained a two 2-0 lead early on thanks to Hayden ripping an RBI triple, her first of two on the night. As the innings continued to progress, Chopticon extended their lead, which led to the 5-3 win, the first championship win for Head Coach Kevin Cioppa. According to the players, much of the team's success this year comes from the strong bond they have formed throughout the years. Many of them have been playing travel ball since they were eight, which has helped them form long-lasting friendships and strong chemistry on the field. "I think we had a really, like, tight-knit group this year, and there wasn't a lot of drama between our girls," said Wolfe. "I mean, we all got along, and I think that really helped, like, the strength of the team."

The Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) has 14 teams, but three stood out this past softball season: Huntingtown, Chopticon, and Leonardtown. All three schools captured their respective class titles in May. Huntingtown Wins Class 2A Title 3-2 vs. Stephen Decatur After losing 4-2 to Rising Sun in the 2A title game in 2024, Huntingtown had the opportunity to redeem themselves against Stephen Decatur on the same stage and did so, beating them 3-2. "After losing last year, and just coming back and winning, it feels great," said senior pitcher Jordyn Greever. Greever threw a complete game, even managing to escape a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning to help her team win. After her performance, head coach Mike Johnson credited Greever, calling her the best pitcher in the state of Maryland. "I've been able to watch Jordan now for four years, progressively work harder and harder and harder to get to this point," voiced Johnson. This was the first time the Hurricanes had won the state title since 2019. It was also Johnson's sixth title with Huntingtown and tenth overall in Maryland. Chopticon Wins First State Title In 40 Years Chopticon had not won a state title in 40 years. However, their 5-3 win against Sherwood changed history. "I feel like it hasn't hit me, like how crazy it is," exclaimed senior pitcher Carrie Hayden. "The fact that it literally has been 40 years since we've won, and that we did win, like I don't think it's like, set in yet like how big of a deal it is." Throughout the season, the Braves only lost two games, both to Leonardtown. But those two losses helped the team strengthen its bond on the field and grow closer to one another. Chopticon had two chances within the last ten years to win the 3A title in 2016 and 2022, but fell short both times. When the opportunity came this season to return to the same stage, they dominated, giving Head Coach Kevin Cioppa his first state championship. Leonardtown Wins 4A Title Two Years In A Row For the second year in a row, Leonardtown softball won the Class 4A title, this time against Winston Churchill 5-0. This season, all of the Raiders rosters returned but one player, which benefited Head Coach Kim Woodburn and fueled the team's goal to become back-to-back state champions. "They worked really hard all year to make sure that happened, or I should say all season," stated Woodburn. One of those returners was senior pitcher Claire Radford, who finished her season and career at Leonardtown with over 500 career strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA. In the 4A title game, she threw a complete game, allowing only two hits and adding an RBI single to help seal the shutout win. "I think I push myself even harder to make sure that I was able to improve on what I had put into last year," Radford stated in regards to this season. The Maryland softball player of the year is taking her talents to the University of South Carolina-Aiken and credits Leonardtown for helping her grow into the player she is. "They definitely gave me a lot of confidence," said Radford. Conclusion Taking three out of the four state titles is rare for a conference to do, but that shows how competitive SMAC is. Many athletes across SMAC have played travel ball together, which helps gain a sense of familiarity within the conference and teams. Chopticon players Brooke Colliflower, Cassidy Wolfe, and Cioppa all emphasized how the success within each team, alongside the close games and competitiveness, add to that reputation within the conference. “I think that the SMAC conference is one of the best conferences in the state, and I think it has been for a long time,” said Cioppa.

Leonardtown was down 6 to 4 in the top of the seventh. Lindsay Hunter hit a three run home run to take the lead.

Kayleigh Rishel had 13 SO countysports.zone/scores/view/FoIL9iDQAUx3zjA7ejweF