Having covered girls’ softball for the past 20 years, I have had the opportunity to watch many top-flight players come through the various leagues in South Florida and see them mature at the high school level.

One of the programs that has long been on the verge of busting out in a major way is Cooper City. Players have competed for off season teams who have won major titles and have been exposed to outstanding competition.

This past Saturday, after years of showcasing talent year round, Cooper City finally watched it all pay off - in a major way.

The Cowboys softball team, riding the arm of standout Corrine Clauss, defeated Neptune Beach (Jacksonville) Fletcher to bring home a much-anticipated state title to Broward County.

The win over the Senators was the fourth softball title for the school, but the first three came during a slow-pitch era that saw many of the players start their careers at the famed Fletcher Park in Pembroke Pines.

While many congratulated first year head coach Phil Schmaltz on a job well done, and for good reason, there is also former head coach Kerry Kelly, who built this team and maintained it during the years, that should be recognized.

In my opinion, Kelly never received the true praise deserved in building a team that was often loaded with talent,  but needed a direction. Between what Kelly did and the way Schmaltz, who was an assistant on the 2007 Everglades team, handled the team, this was truly a team effort for the 26-5 Cowboys.

The win against Fletcher was much tougher than the opening round triumph against Miami Ferguson. Fletcher, which finished an impressive 31-1, loaded the bases in the top of the first inning, but a grounder to first baseman Ericka Faulkner ended the threat. A run was saved when Kattie Satterfield singled to center with two outs, but a strong throw from Jessica Stewart held Kelly Wilson at third. She was stranded there.

Cooper City had many chances to push across runs, but Fletcher ace Erin Schuppert did the job to get out of every jam.

Clauss helped her own cause with a single to make it 3-1, and then knew that she was in control on the mound, stopping a potential seventh inning rally to take home the state championship.

DOUGLAS FALLS SHORT
You have to give the Douglas baseball team all the credit in the world for hanging tough this year. The Eagles emerged from a group that included Flanagan, Cypress Bay and Taravella to be the lone BCAA team left last weekend, but they fell short against a talent Park Vista team from Palm Beach County, ending a great season.

SPRING FOOTBALL
Our coverage the rest of the school year will be focusing in on spring football. Here is a list of games over the next week that have BCAA teams in action:

May 20
Coconut Creek North Broward Prep at Cardinal Gibbons, 4 p.m.
Pines Charter at Cooper City
Monarch at Taravella (Coral Springs)

May 21
Fort Lauderdale at South Broward
St. Thomas Aquinas Blue-Gold, 3:15
Doral Ronald Reagan at Sunrise Piper
Deerfield Beach at Flanagan
Coral Glades at Hollywood McArthur
Douglas at Everglades
Westlake Prep at Pompano Beach

May 22
Miramar Red vs Blue
Coconut Creek at Plantation
Hollywood Hills at Coral Springs

May 23
Cypress Bay Blue vs. Gold

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at FloridaKids1@hotmail.com. He can also be heard every Thursday night (9-10) on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Report on WQAM (560 AM).