The Jefferson County Activities Association is always capable of sending a softball team to Springfield for the final four.
This fall will be no different.
In the Class 4 District 1 tournament last October, Windsor swept JCAA rivals De Soto (8-0), Festus (11-5) and Hillsboro (6-2) to advance to the state quarterfinals where Anna Holland pitched a complete game and Sophia Stemmler hit a home run in a 7-3 win over Westminster Christian Academy. In the semifinals for the first time in their history, the Owls were shut out 12-0 by eventual champion Father Tolton, and let a 3-2 lead in the sixth slip away in a 6-3 defeat to St. Francis Borgia in the third-place game.
Windsor lost Stemmler for the season with a knee injury, but returns Holland and a cast of sluggers capable of repeating as conference and district champions.
Perryville finished fourth in the state in Class 3 in 2021. Since 2010, Hillsboro (fourth, Class 4, 2018), Jefferson (third, Class 2, 2016), Festus (fourth, Class 3, 2012) and De Soto (third, Class 3, 2013; champion, Class 3, 2014) have all been among the best teams in the state.
Practice for fall sports began Monday, leading to the opening of the sports calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. County coaches from the JCAA were asked to submit a questionnaire providing details of this year’s teams. Lineups are subject to change over the next few weeks. Class and district assignments will be released by the Missouri State High School Activities Association for most fall sports on Aug. 28.
The following is a breakdown of JCAA teams from the county.
Herculaneum Blackcats
Head coach: Christal Brakhage, eighth season
Last season: 5-9 overall, 1-5 JCAA
Season opener: at Saxony Lutheran (Jackson), Aug. 29
Key players: juniors Madelyn Brown, Avoni Koenen; sophomores Emily Vinyard, Serenity Adams, Ryleigh Curtis.
Diamond notes: The Blackcats by position, are Brown (utility); Vinyard (catcher); Koenen (outfield); Adams (pitcher); Curtis (outfield). Brakhage said the team is absent two seniors. One is recovering from surgery, and the other is trying to get back on the field this season.
“We have some new players this year and we will see what category they fit into,” Brakhage said.
De Soto Dragons
Head coach: Kyle Huey, second season
Last season: 15-9 overall, 4-2 JCAA
Season opener: at Northwest, Aug. 27, 4:30 p.m.
Key players: seniors Cheyenne Kincade, Lilly Travis; junior Milayna Drummond; sophomore Lyla Stephens.
Diamond notes: Huey is head coach of the De Soto baseball team in the spring. Kincade and Drummond were selected second-team all-conference. Kincade has been the Dragons reliable catcher for the past three seasons and will hit near the top of the order. Travis is a pitcher who split most of the innings in the circle last season with 2026 graduate Kylee Turner (first team). Drummond had the speed to leg out five doubles and four triples last year. Huey said she is a true utility player who has played infield and outfield the last two seasons. She might also catch. Stephens won the starting first base position last year as a freshman and will look to continue to earn a spot in the lineup and as an underclassman. Stephens will have a more important role in the circle.
“We are looking for our top returners to have major seasons for us,” Huey said. “All of them received recognition last year in different postseason awards. Outside of those four, we are going to be inexperienced after graduating four girls last year who were four-year starters. However, this year provides an opportunity for other girls to step up and take on roles within the program they may not have thought they had the opportunity to do last year with such a strong senior class.”
Festus Tigers
Head coach: Jeff Montgomery, 28th season
Last season: 23-7 overall, 5-1 JCAA
Season opener: at Union Tournament, Aug. 28-29
Key players: seniors Keeleigh Hankins, Ava Oberle, Carlie Isbell, Aubrey Doyle, Olivia Montgomery, Mia Metzger.
Diamond notes: Oberle was the JCAA Player of the Year and first team all-conference, all-state, all-region and all-district a year ago when she had 51 hits in 103 at-bats for a batting average of .495. Oberle pitched 83 innings and had an ERA of 1.86. She mowed down 123 batters in 83 innings in the circle, and when she’s not pitching, plays shortstop. A third baseman/shortstop, Hankins earned all of the same awards as Oberle in 2025 when she hit .469, had 20 extra-base hits and drove in a team-high 48 runs. Isbell was all-everything but -state and catches and plays second base. She hit .402 and had 10 doubles and five triples. Doyle pitches and is another shortstop. She had two hits in the district loss to Windsor. The coach’s daughter, Olivia, and Metzger can play several positions defensively.
“We think we have the possibility of being quite a bit better defensively with more speed,” Coach Montgomery said. “If our defense can take away a few hits routinely, we will be pretty good. We will be quicker defensively, and on the bases we have some younger players (who) are going to fill some important spots.
“We could have as many as nine or 10 seniors. We have been building to this opportunity, to really be competitive. Barry Stafford joins us as an assistant. Kevin Lucas will be our varsity assistant again this year. I am excited about Stafford joining us. He and I have had a lot of success in baseball. We complement each other well. He has a good understanding of working with young people and will do great.”
Hillsboro Hawks
Head coach: Tish Naeger, fifth season
Last season: 18-13-1 overall, 4-2 JCAA
Season opener: vs. Oakville, Aug. 27, Cor Jesu Shootout
Key players: senior Haylie Boyette; juniors Ally Uphoff, Hannah DuBois, Maddie McCrackin, Bekah Goodman, Bella Gonzales, Addisyn Crewse; sophomores Payton Bechaud, Ella Sabourin, Conley Barton, Kaylin Hays, Regan Uphoff.
Diamond notes: Now that Ashley and Kaylee Hilton have graduated, it’s worth noting one more time this will be the first season without a Hilton in the Hawk lineup since 2021. The Hilton sisters racked up accolades on the softball diamond and basketball court and hold records that could stand the test of time. Those were good years on the softball field at Hillsboro, which had a record of 106-46 with Hiltons on the squad. Time marches on, and as mentioned, this season’s top opponents are in the Hawks’ backyard.
Hillsboro will rely heavily on the arms of Boyette, McCrackin and Gonzales. Boyette and McCracken have pitched for the varsity the last two years and were huge contributors in the Hawks returning to the district final, Naeger said.
Uphoff returns at shortstop and has some of the best hands of any infielder Naeger has seen. She hit .337 in the two-hole last year. DuBois had a .375 batting average and .466 OBP hitting third. She played first base and right field.
Ashley Hilton led the Hawks with a .485 average and was among their top RBI producers, but even though she’s graduated this year, Naeger feels the offense is still dangerous.
“We have five returning players who hit .300 and above,” Naeger said. “That’s a solid start. While we lost a few big hitters, I am excited to see what our younger players stepping into those roles will do for us. I feel our lineup will have some solid power. A couple of our up-and-coming players have a lot of speed. So far this summer, I have been more impressed with how well we are seeing the ball and putting the ball in play, driving it to the gaps.”
Jefferson Blue Jays
Head coach: Amanda Mohan, fourth season
Last season: 7-17 overall, 1-5 JCAA
Season opener: at Parkway Central, Aug. 27, 4:30 p.m.
Key players: juniors Bella Gregory, Fiona Sandbothe; sophomores Ellie Wakeman, Olivia Tindall; freshmen Maci Duvall, Micayla Trask.
Diamond notes: An outfielder, Sandbothe (second team JCAA) hit .400 and stole 24 bases at the plate. Wakeman will be one of the team’s top pitchers. Gregory (1B/3B) hit .300, and Mohan said has the potential for lots of power. Mohan called Tindall a wall behind the plate with a cannon of an arm. Mohan is excited about the prospects of Duvall and Trask making an impact their first year.
“We’re going to have a young pitching staff this season, led by (Wakeman),” Mohan said. “We expect Ellie to carry a significant workload in the circle, but we’re also excited about several freshmen who can pitch and give us additional options. Their development will be important as the season progresses.
“We’re a young, athletic team that will continue to learn and grow throughout the season, and our speed gives us the ability to put constant pressure on opposing defenses. Defensively, we have several versatile athletes who can play multiple positions, and we’ll be focused on finding the right combinations to put our team in the best position to succeed.”