Defending Jefferson County Activities Association champion Festus High School stormed out of the gates this season by winning the 31st Union Tournament.
The Tigers competed in the tournament Aug. 29-30 at Union Veterans Memorial Park and posted a record of 4-0 after beating Jefferson City High School 2-1 and Elsberry High School 3-1 the first day and St. Francis Borgia High School 4-2 and St. Elizabeth’s R-IV High School 10-7 on the second day. The win over St. Elizabeth’s was in the championship game.
“This weekend was a lot of fun,” said Festus head coach Jeff Montgomery, who begins his 27th season. “We played well and our style, how we pitch and how we defend, played in our favor. Our offense was good, very disciplined. No one chased pitches early in counts and we battled deep in counts. We saw four really good pitchers and stepped up.”
The Tigers are 6-0 after beating Farmington 8-1 Tuesday and Northwest 8-5 Wednesday.
Junior pitchers Audrey Doyle and Ava Oberle each won two of the Festus games. Doyle was the winning pitcher against Jefferson City and Borgia, allowing two earned runs in 13 innings. The reigning JCAA player of the year, Oberle fired two seven-inning complete games against Elsberry and St. Elizabeth’s, allowing two earned runs and striking out 12.
At the plate, Oberle is hitting .667 through four games after gathering 10 hits, including two home runs, in 15 plate appearances and driving in six. Junior teammate Keeleigh Hankins matched Oberle’s .667 with eight hits in 12 at-bats. Hankins and senior Kendahl Johnson (.429) also hit homers for Festus during the tournament.
Festus had a team batting average of .308 and scored 198 runs last season. The Tigers finished 20-12 overall and 6-0 in the JCAA. The Tigers fell to Cor Jesu Academy in the Class 4 District 2 final. The Chargers finished fourth in the state. The last time Festus reached the state final four was 2012.
Oberle was undefeated in the circle in conference games, had a record of 14-4 and struck out 126 batters in 102 2/3 innings. She plays second base and shortstop when she’s not pitching; Doyle is at shortstop and the outfield. Johnson can catch, play second base or the outfield. Hankins, who led the Tigers with five home runs and 44 RBIs in 2024, will pitch and play third base or shortstop. Junior Olivia Montgomery, the daughter of Jeff Montgomery, can play outfield, second or first.
By position, the rest of the Tiger varsity includes seniors Avery Schmitt (shortstop, catcher, outfield), Leinna Smith (outfield), Livi Kearns (first, third) and Miranda Machalek (third, outfield, first) and juniors Mia Metzger (outfield, second, pitcher), Kennedy Williams (outfield), Carlie Isbell (shortstop, catcher, outfield), Claire Gauch (first base), Madison Toeniskoetter (outfield, second) and Rhilynn Friedmeyer (first, third, outfield). Kearns is a four-year starter.
“Ava, Carlie and Keeleigh are a nice nucleus of talent that work very hard in the game to prepare and get better,” said Montgomery. “But we also have depth – Kearns, Johnson, Doyle – those are some kids that have been around and they know what to expect and have represented us well.”
Montgomery said the 10 juniors on the roster have improved and have the ability to leave a positive mark on the program if they continue to lead and bond together.
“I like the fact I think all 15 (girls) on our varsity roster have improved,” he said, “The junior class is deep and they all will get some opportunities. We are by no means a top-state ranked team, but we are trending up to some positive things, I believe. We have much work to do and many questions in spots defensively and offensively.”
After games at Farmington High School on Tuesday and Northwest High School on Wednesday after the Leader deadline, Festus will play in the Rockwood Summit Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
“We have battled some injuries from the summer too, so we have to be careful,” Montgomery said. “We have a very tough schedule. I mention that every year, but that schedule prepares us to bond and fight through adversity for the end. There will be some tough moments. We have some new athletes on the varsity and I am excited to see what they can do.”
The Missouri State High School Activities Association released class and district assignments for softball on Aug. 29. Festus is in Class 4 District 1.
The following is a breakdown of the rest of the JCAA teams from the county and independent St. Pius X.
De Soto High Dragons
Class 4 District 1
Head coach: Kyle Huey, first year
Last season: 9-15, 4-2
Key players: seniors Kylee Turner (P, IF), Ella Bell (IF), Addison Glidewell, Macie Jordan; juniors Cheyenne Kincade (C), Lilly Travis (P); sophomore Milayna Drummond (UT); freshman Lyla Stephens (P).
Diamond notes: Turner, Travis and Stephens are the Dragons primary pitchers. In De Soto’s season-opening 14-2 mercy-rule win (10 runs or more) at Farmington High School on Aug. 29, Travis pitched all five innings. The Dragons scored 13 runs in the third inning. Turner had three hits, three RBIs and scored two runs. Huey said the team’s senior class is going to be the spark plug of the offense. He said Glidewell had a great junior year as the leadoff batter, and Bell and Turner are hitting in the heart of our order. Kincade has two years of varsity experience behind the plate and the Dragons will lean heavily on her to run the defense. Drummond has great athleticism and has roles all over the diamond.
“We are going to be a high-contact percentage team this year by putting the ball in play and using our speed to make things happen offensively,” Huey said, “We are focused on quality at-bats and making pitchers work.”
Herculaneum High Blackcats/with
Crystal City Hornets
Class 3 District 1
Head coach: Christie Brakhage, sixth year
Last season: 4-13 overall, 1-5 JCAA
Key players: seniors Cheyenne Wood (catcher), Grace Lenington (CF, P, 3B), Kierstin Pattison (LF); juniors Blake Parker (3B), Ryanna Raftery (SS), Marty Adams (RF, 1B); sophomores Madelyn Brown (P, CF), Maddie Wood (1B).
Diamond notes: Herculaneum and Crystal City High School co-op the team. Brown has experience pitching from her former select teams. She hasn’t pitched for them in recent years though. Lenington and Parker pitched for the Blackcats last season. Brakhage expects Parker and Brown to be the team’s power hitters and Raftery, Wood, Pattison and Lenington to have high on-base percentages.
“We have a couple power hitters, a few players with speed, and a few that consistently get on base,” Brakhage said.
Hillsboro High Hawks
Class 4 District 1
Head coach: Tish Naeger, fourth year
Last season: 16-10, 5-1
Key players: seniors Ashley Hilton (P, OF), Maizy Sabourin (IF), Molly Johnston (C), Ava Zimmer (OF), Ava Culley (OF); juniors Haylie Boyette (P, OF); sophomores Hannah DuBois (OF, IF), Maddie McCrackin (P, IF), Allison Uphoff (IF).
Diamond notes: The Hawks had won five conference titles in a row before being unseated by Festus last year. The Tigers also defeated Hillsboro 3-2 in the district semifinals. Hilton concludes her fourth year and stellar career on the varsity. A first-team all-conference player in 2024, the left-handed pitcher will be a top candidate for JCAA MVP this fall. She’s as effective as a hitter and fielder as she is a pitcher. In her first three years, Hilton’s record in the circle is 28-9 (she was 10-0 her junior season) and she has 272 career strikeouts. Righthanders Boyette and McCrackin return to the circle as Hilton’s backups. Hillsboro has the potential to have a potent offense. Hilton (.392), DuBois (.364) and Uphoff (.297) are top bats.
“We’re excited to see them continue making strong contributions at the plate,” Naeger said. “In our early scrimmages, it’s been exciting to watch the younger players bring an aggressive approach — both in the batter’s box and on the basepaths. They’ve done a great job putting the ball in play and are already adding a noticeable boost to our team’s overall speed and energy.”
Jefferson High Blue Jays
Class 2 District 1
Head coach: Amanda Mohan, third year
Last season: 7-17, 1-5
Key players: senior Annabelle Richardson (P, 1B, SS); sophomores Isabella Gregory (1B, 3B), Fiona Sandbothe (CF); freshmen Carleigh Stanley (P), Ellie Wakeman (P), Olivia Tindall (C).
Diamond notes: Richardson set the single-season home run record with 11 last year. She is not a pitcher by trade but she’s athletic and will play wherever the team needs her, Mohan said. Her everyday position is first base. Gregory has lots of power and is a leader in the infield. Sandbothe is very fast and will be the leadoff hitter this year. Mohan said Sandbothe is a triple threat at the plate with the ability to bunt, slap and hit. Mohan (formerly Clack) graduated from Hillsboro and played DI softball at Bradley University. Assistant coach Abi Chipps graduated from Jefferson in 2020 after an all-state career and trip to the final four with the Blue Jays. Chipps then played at Indiana State University. Mohan coached Chipps in club ball before college.
“We are a very young team this year,” Mohan said. “We are athletic and will have a lot of girls playing outside their standard position in order to best suit the team.”
St. Pius X Lancers
Class 2 District 1
Head coach: Kevin Halley, 18th year
Last season: 5-17
Key players: seniors Abigail Rohe (1B, OF), Ellie Lang (2B, 3B, OF), Jilian Taylor (P, 1B); juniors Michaela Quick (C, 3B), Reagan Czarnecki-Ball (OF); sophomores Ava Schwartz (CF), Kendall Cole (3B, C, P); freshmen Taylor Bean (P), Gracie Drinen (SS).
Diamond notes: Because they have next to no experience, Halley said Lancer pitching will be by committee. Taylor, Cole, Bean and Czarnecki-Ball will all take turns in the circle with the hopes one or more emerge as reliable starters. While the pitching is on shaky ground, Halley said the strength will be the offense. That’s despite the loss of their leading hitters in 2025 graduates Rylee Bohnert, who hit .662 and drove in 31 runs and Bridget Flanagan (.533, 31 stolen bases). Quick, Schwartz, Cole and Drinen will be the top four bats in the lineup and should set the tone for the rest of the group.
Windsor senior muscles up
Windsor High School senior Natalie Krause plans to continue to evolve as a softball player.
She hit .338 and drove in 10 runs as a freshman before her batting average dipped to .267 but her RBI total increased to 12 as a sophomore.
Krause took advantage of her school’s strength-and-conditioning program before her junior year, and the work paid off.
She hit .333 with four home runs and 27 RBIs last season after not hitting a single homer in her first two seasons. She smacked a grand slam in a 25-5 win over Herculaneum and hit home runs against Neelyville and Kelly on the same day.
“I didn’t come down from that for a couple of months,” Krause said.
Krause’s strength training also helped her on defense. She moved to shortstop early last year and can play at second base when needed. She was voted onto the all-Jefferson County Activities Association second team.
“I worked really hard to show I can be a good infielder,” Krause said.
During track and field season in the spring, Krause ran a leg on the 4x100-meter relay team with Ty Schenk, Keira Dixon and Shaelee Mancuso. Krause also competes in the 4x200, triple jump and long jump. A junior, Schenck was first team all-conference, and she returns to center field and had a .436 batting average and team-high 23 stolen bases.
Windsor saw its first game action in a jamboree at Lutheran South on Aug. 26. The games against Lutheran South, Ursuline and Festus were three innings apiece. The Owls were 1-1-1 after tying Lutheran South, beating Ursuline and falling to defending JCAA champion Festus.
“We seem pretty solid,” Krause said. “I’m excited because we have a lot of younger kids who are really good.”
“She did a solid job last year. She’s a good leader. She’s our captain,” said Windsor head coach Wayne Montgomery, who has led the Owls for 15 years and has a career record of 226-154. “For someone her size, she has a lot of power with the bat and she runs the bases well. She’s capable of hitting on the left side, bunting and running one out.”
Krause and Schenck aren’t the only all-conference players returning for Windsor, which went 12-13 overall and 3-3 in the JCAA last season.
Junior catcher/third baseman Sophia Stemmler was second-team all-state and first-team JCAA after leading the Owls with a .532 average and 42 hits. Sophomore Gracie Willtrout, who can play catcher or second base, was second-team all-conference and hit .400. Montgomery’s daughter, Ella, was a second-team selection, hit .400 and had six wins as a pitcher as a freshman.
Ella will share time in the circle with junior Anna Holland, who was 6-5 with 49 strikeouts last season. When last year began, Ella was the No. 1 pitcher, but Holland took over.
“Anna has stepped it up and she will serve as our No. 1 pitcher,” Coach Montgomery said. “She’s worked hard to increase her speed and accuracy. Anna has good velocity and is hitting her spots. Toward the end of last year, she pitched in some of the bigger games. We’ll throw them both because they have different speeds. Ella has a little bit more movement. We’ll go with the hot hand.”
Stemmler had 12 multi-hit games and had three hits in four of the first 11 games. Two games after that against Farmington, she had her best game of the season going four-for-four with four runs scored.
Juniors Riley Svoboda and Sophia Cato have looked good in practices and could provide more power at the plate.
With so many productive bats in the lineup, the coach said the Owls can take advantage of their biggest strength – speed.
“We had 51 stolen bases as a team,” he said. “I would be shocked if we have less than 70 stolen bases this year. We’ve got eight girls who will get some time on the field that have a lot of the speed to swipe some bases. Our on base percentage was pretty high because we found ways to get on the bases. Our speed really forces the defense to make some errors from time to time. A grounder isn’t an easy out if they don’t get rid of it quickly.”
“Hopefully, that will prepare us for districts and conference,” Wayne said.