Jonesboro eyes back-to-back state titles
'If you told me my freshman year that we were going to be state champs in possible back-to-back years, I probably would've laughed in your face,' Jonesboro senior catcher Emily Turner said.
Turner earned 1A State MVP honors, helping the Lady Eagles make history by delivering the school's first state title on the softball field in 2024, taking down Neches, 3-1.
Now, an experienced group looks to do it again and are confident they can get it done.
'I feel like everyone was expecting [Jonesboro to make it to state] but it wasn't so easy,' Jonesboro sophomore Ally Thorman said. 'We know what we're doing, we've been here before.'
Following the departure of coaching tandem Amanda and Cody LeCroy to Cisco College, Emily Turner's dad, James, stepped up to the challenge of leading the Lady Eagles back to this moment.
'Not very many coaches get this opportunity,' James Turner said. 'I'll definitely cherish it for the rest of my life.'
As three Lady Eagles seniors, including Emily, try to leave one last mark on Jonesboro and deliver the second state championship in school history.
'That's the hardest part right now is keeping the emotions together to get through it,' James Turner said. 'We have a job to finish and then hopefully we can all share [the emotions] after the end of it.'
Jonesboro will try to defend its state championship from a season ago and bring some more hardware back home against Brookeland on Saturday, May 31st at 10:00 a.m.
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