The Class of 2025 holds a special place in the heart of Anthony “Hippo” Frost, head coach of the Panthers softball team.
“I’ve known some of these girls since they were really young,” he said. “A couple years ago, I was considering hanging up the coaching whistle, but these seniors convinced me to keep going – and that speaks volumes about what I think of them.”
It made Tuesday’s contest against Delta that much more emotional for the half-dozen seniors, their family and friends, and the coach who has witnessed tremendous growth over their high school careers. While M-CHS fell 5-3 in their regular season finale at Englehart Field to the visiting Panthers, M-CHS (13-9, 9-3 3A WSL) could still celebrate a Western Slope League title as they honored their departing class after the contest.
“They’re fun to be around and they’re coachable – there’s a give and take between the players and I, and we respect each other,” added Frost.
Each player contributed in their own way, according to Frost. Nevaeh Istenes returned from a leg injury in her junior year to put together a productive senior season, while Abigail Coffey and Julia West became anchoring components of the Panthers outfield. Aubrey Rutherford enjoyed a power surge at the plate for the Panthers, while Emily Carver enjoyed another productive year at the dish and behind the plate as the starting catcher. Devyn Cornett led the team in the circle as the staff ace and in numerous statistical categories on offense.
“Each year we’ve grown,” said Rutherford of the four-year journey, “from the team dinners to the bus rides, we’ve been able to get to know each other and have fun.”
“Being league champs means a lot – it’s something that we’ve always been working toward,” said Cornett, “and it started with summer ball, we’ve always been with each other.”
The focus now shifts to the postseason, where this group looks to learn their regional opponent in the coming weeks, with regional round play slated for Saturday, Oct. 19. The Panthers hope for at least one win in the regional rounds, which would place M-CHS in the state tournament for the first time since 2021.
In that 2021 campaign, most of the current Panthers were playing junior varsity, and their journey since then has brought numerous highs and lows that galvanized the squad for their final run together.
“Our focus every year is to be league champs,” said Frost, whose five-year tenure as head coach included three league titles and the program’s first ever win in the state tournament, “and once the girls saw that the season was starting to come to an end, they shifted gears and really came together.”
“Having Hippo as a coach is something that we’ve all loved, and we’ve been able to develop a bond with him,” said Rutherford about her head coach, before Cornett added, “he’s really easy to talk to – and even when he’s hard on us, he does it in a way that shows that he cares about us – and it’s because he wants us to get better.”
After a difficult stretch in early September left the Panthers sitting below .500, the seniors jolted to life in the final stretch of the month, winning six in a row to vault into first place – a spot they wouldn’t relinquish. Defense and pitching played a large part in the run, as the Panthers have posted their fewest runs allowed per game since their last state appearance in ’21.
“When I let go of the ball, I know that if it’s hit and defendable, I trust that the play’s going to be made,” said Cornett, “it takes a lot of pressure off me in the circle.”
As the journey continues for a few more weeks, the Panthers have plenty of chapters still left to write in their softball careers. More importantly, they’ll share their story together. “Even when we have our ups and downs, we’re still a family,” concluded Rutherford.
