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The Superior Jr High baseball team shows off its championship trophy during last week’s Sports Awards Banquet.
The Superior Jr. Panthers’ baseball team held off a last-inning rally by previously undefeated Ray to win the Central Junior High League Championship on Apr. 23 in Miami, 6 – 5.
The Jr. Panthers entered the last inning with a 6 – 3 lead before Ray answered with two runs and a chance for more, but Superior ended the game on a fly ball to right field.
“I enjoyed seeing this team grow from the beginning of the season,” Superior head coach Joseph Navarro said. “It was a good group of kids and they stuck to it.”
Ironically, it was after a loss to Ray in the regular season that was the turning point, according to Navarro.
The Jr. Panthers run-ruled their next opponent in game Navarro thought could make-or-break his team’s season.
“They just kept it going,” Navarro said about his team after it bounced back from the loss to Ray. “They steamrolled into the playoffs.”
Indeed they did and beyond.
All the way to the CJHL Championship.
Congratulations, Jr. Panthers’ players and coaches.
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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