It’s a goal that was set early in the season when head coach Bill Ross quickly realized that this team was one of the best he’s had in his 17 years at the helm.
PAINESVILLE, Ohio — School may be out at Painesville Riverside High School, but summer has been out on pause for the softball Beavers.
“I feel like I’m still in school. I mean, I’m here every single day,” catcher Emi Jeras says as she stands on the team’s field in Painesville Township. “Obviously (I’m) not complaining. I’m so excited to be able to extend my year.”
At 25-4, Jeras and Riverside have made it all the way to the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state semifinals, where they will battle Perry Saturday morning at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Not only is this the first time the Beavers have made it to state — it’s the furthest any team has gone in school history, regardless of sport.
Now, they’re just two wins away from winning Riverside’s first state championship.
‘It’s very nerve-wracking; it’s kind of exciting,” pitcher Annaliese Davis told 3 Sports. “I think that we just need to keep pushing forward and I think we can reach our goal.”
It’s a goal that was set early in the season, when head coach Bill Ross realized quickly that this team was one of the best he’s had in his 17 years at the helm. With all that talent in his mind, the bar was placed in uncharted territory.
“For so many years, it’s just words, right?” Ross said. “And now, to actually be here on the verge (of a title) going in there Saturday, it’s very exciting.”
While Perry enters this weekend’s showdown with a pedestrian 14-15 record, the Panthers have earned the benefit of the doubt, with three state championships since 2010. Riverside won’t have the edge in experience in Akron, but this season has the Beavers believing they have just a good of a shot to win it all as everybody else.
“I think we have a really special team of girls that just will always stay positive, and I think if we come in with a lot of energy, we have the talent,” Jeras explained. “So if we come in with the mentality and energy that we’re going to win the game, I think it’s very, very possible.”
