As the bus pulls up to Georgetown East View High School on Friday evening for the beginning of the UIL State Softball Tournament, the moment will mean something special to everyone involved for different reasons.
For the Kingwood High School softball program, this is the first time in 11 years that it has advanced this far in the playoffs. The last state tournament appearance came in 2013.
“Just enjoy it,” Kingwood Coach Christa Williams-Yates said about her message to her team. “I’m excited for them. We’ve worked hard for it. I think they’re ready to go.”
Kingwood (36-7) faces Waco Midway (33-5) in the Class 6A UIL State Semifinal on Friday with first pitch set for 7 p.m. The winner advances to the Class 6A UIL State Championship game to be played on Saturday, June 1, at 4 p.m.
For Williams-Yates and Assistant Coach Christina Mata, this will be the first time in 29 years that they have been a part of the sport’s grandest stage. The last time they were involved in this tournament came as teammates at Pasadena Dobie High School in 1995.
The duo won a state title that year and two years prior in 1993.
“This team is super similar to that team,” Williams-Yates said. “We were all pretty tight and if anybody crossed us we were going to go to war with them. That’s just who we were. This team is the same way. We weren’t intimidated by anybody.”
Now, their daughters Kendall and Abella grace the roster of Kingwood. Teammates. Just like their mothers were in their high school careers. A full circle moment.
“It’s kind of neat to see the two of them going through it the way we did,” Williams-Yates said.
The Unicorn!
Early on in the 2024 UIL Softball Playoffs, Williams-Yates was scouting Clear Springs and Pearland Dawson for a potential Area Round showdown.
At the game, one of her daughter’s ex-teammates was dressed up like a dinosaur for Clear Springs. On the other side, Dawson had some of the same themed inflatable costumes. The crowd was also deafening.
Coming out of that game, Williams-Yates told the parents they needed to “bring the noise” in the next series because their opponents would be.
They ended up bringing the noise and a unicorn.
“Next thing I know, my parents are saying ‘we have an inflatable unicorn’, and I was like yeah right, nobody’s going to wear this thing,” Williams-Yates said with a laugh. “I thought they were kidding.
“Next thing you know this unicorn pops up.”
Originally, it was senior Bailey Druckhammer’s mother who donned the costume and now her brother, Jon, a student at Kingwood High School, has taken over.
“Everybody loved him,” Williams-Yates said. “It’s just something that brings a little fun to the game. Just the way it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to be fun.”
When Kingwood clinched a state berth with the final out against No. 1 nationally-ranked Katy High School last Friday, the celebration was on. The Mustangs stormed the field, started jumping up and down and here came the unicorn.
Jon and his inflatable unicorn suit became a social media sensation, even being featured on KHOU.
On Thursday morning as the team left for Austin, a state sendoff parade was held around the halls of Kingwood High School. Leading the way – you guessed it, the drumline and the unicorn.
“He’s part of the team,” Williams-Yates said. “You got us here along with our girls. You’re part of the adventure, so let’s celebrate together.”
Senior Starter
When Williams-Yates fills out her lineup card on Friday at the University of Texas, she will pencil in just one senior into the starting lineup – a rarity for teams that reach this round.
The lone senior starter is Ava Jolley.
A University of Mary-Hardin Baylor-signee, Jolley just blends into the lineup, Williams-Yates said, which also makes her a valuable secret weapon.
“I feel like she’s kind of that unsung hero for us and people don’t truly see what her value is,” Williams-Yates said. “She’s been very instrumental in our run here.”
In Game 1 of the Region III-6A Final against Katy, the Mustangs found themselves trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jolley stepped up to the plate and blasted her sixth homer of the season to tie the game.
“It’s easy to look past her but the thing about Ava is she has always been pretty consistent,” Williams-Yates said. “When we need her, she steps up.”
The solo shot ended up tying the game, which Kingwood went on to win on a walk-off homer by Mia Gagliardi an inning later.
Jolley is that lead-by-example-type player, Williams-Yates said and is someone who the first-year Kingwood coach has confided in throughout the 2024 campaign.
“She’s definitely kind of a cornerstone of the program,” she said. “She’s just been really reliable. Somebody that I can talk to, somebody I can trust. She does things the right way on and off the field. That’s kind of Ava wrapped up into one right there.”
Check out more of our interview with Williams-Yates below:
Q: Talk about Mia Gagliardi and her impact at and behind the plate.
A: “What people don’t realize is that Mia has caught almost every single inning for our team this year. She has been instrumental. She’s been there every single game and a model of consistency.”
Q: What has it been like to see the community reaction to the state run?
A: “It has been crazy. I went twice as a player and the community was crazy back then. But this is a whole other level of crazy. People recognizing you, ‘oh my gosh, you all have done amazing’, and just the support - it’s just been amazing. I’ve never seen a community just flip a switch and been so supportive. Everywhere’s been positive.”