By Staff
There is never a dull moment when it comes to high school athletics.
When you go to a game you can expect excitement and plenty of action.
But what you get isn't always what you receive.
That was not the case this past Saturday at the Chieftain Invitational Softball Tournament.
Some of the best teams in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan came to town with one goal in mind - winning a championship.
For the first time in two years, Andrean did not leave town with the big trophy.
In fact, the No. 1 ranked team in Indiana's 3A division didn't even reach the finals.
Dowagiac finally got the best of Andrean in the semifinals.
The Chieftains nipped Andrean 1-0 in eight innings of great softball.
Whether your team won or not, one had to be impressed with the caliber of softball that was on display at Dowagiac Union High School, Rotary Park, the Highway Department field and Russom Field.
For those who know the game best, Saturday was a real treat.
For those who might be new to softball, you got to see it played at its highest levels.
It would have been nice to see Dowagiac win the championship, but I couldn't help but be impressed with the way it played outside of the championship game.
It beat two quality softball teams and lost to a perennial state champion in Kalamazoo Christian.
Dowagiac was flat in the final game, perhaps having spent all of its emotional energy in beating Andrean.
But that one setback does not take away from what could be a very special season.
Dowagiac has shown early signs of being a contender this year in the Big 16 West Division and in the state tournament.
Dowagiac has pitching and hitting and is getting better at all of the little things.
It was also fun on Saturday to watch the daughter of a former Chieftain hurler throw a few innings.
Melanie (Hall) Deford's daughter is a freshman pitcher for Mishawaka Marian.
Sami Deford pitched well against Kalamazoo Christian in the first game and the coaches at Marian expect big things from this hurler.
I didn't even have to have Sami pointed out to me. She looked just like her mom when she took to the circle back in the early 1980s.
I enjoyed every minute of Saturday, but wished I had gotten the chance to see some of the other teams in action.