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The Sioux Falls Jefferson softball seniors got to end their careers on 33 consecutive wins and a pair of Class AA state championships, one of the most dominant runs in South Dakota's short history of sanctioned softball.
The Cavaliers also did it without any extended history of success in any sport, given the school only opened for the 2021-22 academic year. That has allowed the teams the last two years to begin forming a tradition within the program.
"It was a feeling of accomplishment because we worked all year for this," senior Macy Bryant said. "We for sure deserved it for doing every single thing right and working every single day for it."
The team Jefferson has had to beat for both state championships was Sioux Falls Washington. Last year's final was a 4-0 win for the Cavaliers, but this year's title win was more convincing. Jefferson blitzed the Warriors for six runs in the fifth inning to win 11-0.
Despite the more lopsided result, the team felt the most recent championship was more difficult to secure than the first.
"Same team, they definitely are coming for us the second time a lot harder," senior Brooklyn Herrera said. "It was more fun, I would say, because it's a harder game to win."
While there isn't necessarily a winning tradition for Jefferson athletics quite yet, the softball program has become known for dominant pitching in short order. This has short legacy been passed on junior Tya Devericks and sophomore Makenzie Bierman, who combined to allow no runs on four hits and two walks in four postseason games.
"I know that there's another girl behind me when I'm in the circle and if something goes wrong, she can back me up," Devericks said. "I had confidence in myself and underclassmen behind me. We all had a job, but especially as pitchers we try to put our team in position to win games."
The Jefferson offense was also incredibly strong, scoring 11.8 runs per game. The lineup was headed by Bryant, South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year who hit over .800 and constantly caused havoc on the basepaths.
"I'm pretty hard on myself, so that really helps me stay focused during games and do what I do," Bryant said.
Herrera was in the middle of the order and nearly always hit with runners on base, whether it was Bryant, Devericks, Lauryn Bullis or someone from the bottom of the order.
"That's a good spot to be in," Herrera said. "We have a really great lineup. Just hit the ball is really the only thing going through my head, and worst case scenario there's five other girls after me who can get the job done."
The back-to-back state championships are helping the Cavaliers develop an athletic identity, and head coach Ed Whiting feels softball was the perfect sport for it to happen in. With this being the fourth year of sanctioned softball, it provided the perfect opportunity for a new school to make a mark.
"I think that's that's the beauty of starting new," Whiting said. "We had the benefit of that happening kind of alongside our school opening and as a part of the leadership team here at Jefferson, we embraced the opportunity to say we don't have to do it like it's always been done. We get to do it the way that we want to."
The girls also liked being able to promote their team and games, and they think that has helped draw a crowd and develop a winning culture.
"We're not afraid to walk through the halls and say, 'Hey, softball is tonight at 6 o'clock,'" Herrera said. "Tell them to come watch and come support. Every state tournament we have a big group of kids that are cheering for us and supporting us."
Bryant, who transferred from Harrisburg for the last two years, also feels the school's support system has helped the team turn into a dominant force.
Jefferson has been quality for the last four years, but this 33-game streak began after a loss on May 3, 2025, to Washington. It was the Cavaliers' third loss of the season, and Whiting said a team film session changed things.
That film session was meant to address some ways the team can capitalize on the little things like picking up extra outs and getting extra bases.
"Sometimes a film session is tough because you're breaking down what went wrong, but they were super driven from the word go," Whiting said. "In a session like that, most of the time as a coach you don't have to point it out when the girls are super focused because they already know and they're already talking about how they how they could attack that differently the next time next time that happens."
The fourth-year head coach also mentioned his team leaders as being key reasons for the team success. He's had both vocal and silent leaders, but all have been productive.
Those leaders have helped create winning teams, and in turn form a winning culture for Sioux Falls' newest school.
"As a high school coach you know that the success of your team is going to be based off of the leadership on the team, and that leadership comes in different different forms," Whiting said. "They did a good job of passing the torch every year, and that's what high school kids do. We're going to graduate six seniors and we're going to miss them all, but they're going to pass the torch to some new seniors and hopefully that that tradition continues."
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SF Jefferson succeeding as city's newest school in state's newest sport
Continue reading...
The Cavaliers also did it without any extended history of success in any sport, given the school only opened for the 2021-22 academic year. That has allowed the teams the last two years to begin forming a tradition within the program.
"It was a feeling of accomplishment because we worked all year for this," senior Macy Bryant said. "We for sure deserved it for doing every single thing right and working every single day for it."
The team Jefferson has had to beat for both state championships was Sioux Falls Washington. Last year's final was a 4-0 win for the Cavaliers, but this year's title win was more convincing. Jefferson blitzed the Warriors for six runs in the fifth inning to win 11-0.
Despite the more lopsided result, the team felt the most recent championship was more difficult to secure than the first.
"Same team, they definitely are coming for us the second time a lot harder," senior Brooklyn Herrera said. "It was more fun, I would say, because it's a harder game to win."
While there isn't necessarily a winning tradition for Jefferson athletics quite yet, the softball program has become known for dominant pitching in short order. This has short legacy been passed on junior Tya Devericks and sophomore Makenzie Bierman, who combined to allow no runs on four hits and two walks in four postseason games.
"I know that there's another girl behind me when I'm in the circle and if something goes wrong, she can back me up," Devericks said. "I had confidence in myself and underclassmen behind me. We all had a job, but especially as pitchers we try to put our team in position to win games."
The Jefferson offense was also incredibly strong, scoring 11.8 runs per game. The lineup was headed by Bryant, South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year who hit over .800 and constantly caused havoc on the basepaths.
"I'm pretty hard on myself, so that really helps me stay focused during games and do what I do," Bryant said.
Herrera was in the middle of the order and nearly always hit with runners on base, whether it was Bryant, Devericks, Lauryn Bullis or someone from the bottom of the order.
"That's a good spot to be in," Herrera said. "We have a really great lineup. Just hit the ball is really the only thing going through my head, and worst case scenario there's five other girls after me who can get the job done."
The back-to-back state championships are helping the Cavaliers develop an athletic identity, and head coach Ed Whiting feels softball was the perfect sport for it to happen in. With this being the fourth year of sanctioned softball, it provided the perfect opportunity for a new school to make a mark.
"I think that's that's the beauty of starting new," Whiting said. "We had the benefit of that happening kind of alongside our school opening and as a part of the leadership team here at Jefferson, we embraced the opportunity to say we don't have to do it like it's always been done. We get to do it the way that we want to."
The girls also liked being able to promote their team and games, and they think that has helped draw a crowd and develop a winning culture.
"We're not afraid to walk through the halls and say, 'Hey, softball is tonight at 6 o'clock,'" Herrera said. "Tell them to come watch and come support. Every state tournament we have a big group of kids that are cheering for us and supporting us."
Bryant, who transferred from Harrisburg for the last two years, also feels the school's support system has helped the team turn into a dominant force.
Jefferson has been quality for the last four years, but this 33-game streak began after a loss on May 3, 2025, to Washington. It was the Cavaliers' third loss of the season, and Whiting said a team film session changed things.
That film session was meant to address some ways the team can capitalize on the little things like picking up extra outs and getting extra bases.
"Sometimes a film session is tough because you're breaking down what went wrong, but they were super driven from the word go," Whiting said. "In a session like that, most of the time as a coach you don't have to point it out when the girls are super focused because they already know and they're already talking about how they how they could attack that differently the next time next time that happens."
The fourth-year head coach also mentioned his team leaders as being key reasons for the team success. He's had both vocal and silent leaders, but all have been productive.
Those leaders have helped create winning teams, and in turn form a winning culture for Sioux Falls' newest school.
"As a high school coach you know that the success of your team is going to be based off of the leadership on the team, and that leadership comes in different different forms," Whiting said. "They did a good job of passing the torch every year, and that's what high school kids do. We're going to graduate six seniors and we're going to miss them all, but they're going to pass the torch to some new seniors and hopefully that that tradition continues."
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SF Jefferson succeeding as city's newest school in state's newest sport
Continue reading...
