By Kevin Cunningham
Correspondent
Delavan-Darien High School’s softball team began the WIAA Tournament and its postseason with a 2-17 overall record, but in the first round on May 16, the Comets defeated Edgerton 4-1 on May 16.
Five days later, on May 21, the Comets faced No. 1-seeded Whitnall.
Whitnall won the state tournament a season ago and Comets head coach Hank Johnson said he knew Whitnall would be a tough opponent for his team.
Delavan-Darien was shut out in the game against the former state champions, 17-0 but the coach said his team made notable improvements this year.
“They were a very good team. They hit better than I thought they would and were very impressive on the bags. Obviously the season did not play out to what we thought it would be, however, we still had girls who improved and accomplished some individual goals,” Johnson said.
He said he couldn’t pick out just one player who got better throughout the season because all of the team members improved.
“We had quite a few [improve] from our top returning girls to some girls who were out for the first time,” he said. “Those are the things – besides the wins – that make you feel good as a coach.
“They didn’t quit and kept a positive attitude throughout a tough season. From top to the bottom, they all improved over the course of the season in some aspect of the game,” he added.
The Comets will lose five seniors and one junior heading into next season. Whitnall, after beating Delavan-Darien, defeated Whitewater 15-0 in the Regional final round two days later.
See more DDHS sports in the May 30 Enterprise.
