The assumption, after all the victories and regional championship banners start to pile up and blur together, is that the Fort Dodge softball team’s success has become some kind of foregone conclusion.
Dodger head coach Andi Adams will always remind fans nothing could be further from the truth.
The final score of Tuesday’s Class 4A regional final — an 11-3 FDSH victory over Sergeant Bluff-Luton at Rogers Park — may look lopsided on paper. The reality? The Dodgers, as per usual, had to earn every square inch of their seventh consecutive state tournament berth.
“This,” Adams said adamantly, “is never easy. Will never be taken for granted. And will always be respected by our kids and our program. You look around at the incredible, elite programs that don’t make it. Every year, it’s like a who’s who list. It’s so tough, and it’s a big deal. You don’t get to this point just by showing up. You get here through a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the offseason. And these kids deserve all the credit for the time they’ve put in.
“This is their moment.”