Despite a strong rivalry on the football field, Maysville and Paoli have united on the softball diamond to save their seasons.
“I was happy to be able to play softball my senior year,” said Paoli senior Makayla Kessler.
Over the summer, Paoli had several fastpitch softball players move to other schools, leaving only four seniors.
While Maysville had more players, they also fell short of enough players to field a team.
So, Paoli and Maysville united under the Warriors banner.
“Between the coaches and the players, everyone has been really receptive and meshed pretty well, despite the new environment and new situation,” Coach and Paoli Principal Chad McGuire said.
Players agree that playing together just made sense for the two small schools separated by 10 miles.
“I know a lot of people from here and am related to a lot of people from here, so I was excited,” said Paoli senior Skyla Webster.
“We were a team from the start and made new friendships,” said Maysville senior Jolie Summers.
The combined team features seven seniors playing their final year of high school ball.
“We wouldn’t have had a senior year either,” said Maysville senior Allison Sanders.
Playing this year was crucial for seniors like Sanders who plans to play at Carl Albert State next year and Avery Riley who has a softball scholarship to Northern Oklahoma College.
The distance between Paoli and Maysville caused some challenges, as Paoli players had to leave school earlier to come to Maysville to ride with the rest of the team to away games. Paoli players also miss team lunches, as they are unable to come down in the middle of the school day.
“They can’t come down because lunch is so short, so they miss out,” said Riley, a Maysville senior.
Last year, Paoli had just enough girls to field a team.
“Here there are more players, so you have to work for playing time,” Webster said.
This also led to some playing in different positions than they were used to playing. Paoli senior Eveyon Martin usually played first base, but this year, switched between first base and the outfield.
“It’s definitely different fielding a ball than catching in the outfield. It feels like more of a challenge,” Martin said.
Both schools have historically played in Class B. However, combining the average daily membership moved the new combined team up to Class A.
“The move is part of the process,” said Maysville Coach Macey Arnold. “It’s about the same competition. Teams might have more players, but athletically, we’ve matched up as well as they do.”
The joint team wrapped up their regular season with an 8-6 victory over Earlsboro Monday night.
With seven seniors graduating from the combined team, the future of the joint team seems likely if there is interest.
“It’s been a pleasure to be a part of the team, and we’d do this again if we have any who want to play,” McGuire said.
